Mom, I Feel Fat: Becoming Your Daughter's Ally in Developing a Healthy Body Image [Hardcover]

Sharon Hersh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 20, 2001

Never before have our daughters been more concerned and obsessed with the concept of being "fat." From kindergarten on up, girls worry about the size of their stomachs, backsides, and thighs, and even the youngest experiment with dieting and exercise. Much has been written to girls on the challenges they face with regard to body image. But where can a mother turn for advice on how to proactively parent a daughter struggling with--or soon to confront--these insecurities?

You can make a difference.

Whether your daughter is 8 or 16, Mom, I Feel Fat! will help you understand her, the body image issues she will face--from self-esteem to eating disorders--and yourself. Most of all, you'll be encouraged to use the inevitable questions and challenges regarding body image and eating choices to prevent crisis and to strengthen your relationship with your daughter and with God.

INCLUDES PRACTICAL EXERCISES AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING QUESTIONS
FOR MOM ALONE--AND FOR MOTHER AND DAUGHTER TOGETHER.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Sharon Hersh has written a sensitive, thoughtful, and extremely valuable resource for mothers of girls. Her encouragement to love our daughters as God loves us, have faith in our mother's heart, and be real with our daughters is very wise. This book will help us raise young women with healthy body image and self-esteem and create a lifetime mother-daughter bond."
--Sandy Richardson Executive Director of The Remuda Foundation
and the author of Soul Hunger

"Mom, I Feel Fat! is timely, culturally informed, realistic, and Biblically based. This book will open the lines of mother-daughter communication on issues that our daughters are literally dying to talk about."
--Walt Mueller, Founder and President, The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding

"Finally, a book that says out loud what most Moms worry about in secret! This book is not only full of advice on eating disorders but it also has great questions to spark deeper conversations between any mother and daughter."
--Susan Alexander Yates, bestselling author of several books including
And Then I Had Teenagers: Encouragement for Parents of Teens and Preteens

"This well-written book is not a formula for an easy fix to the complex struggles of disordered eating, but an honest, refreshing, and practical resource for families struggling to overcome a serious challenge to the health of young women. Anyone who cares about the plight of young women today will benefit from reading Mom, I Feel Fat! I highly recommend it to parents, adolescent girls, youth workers, and teachers?in short, to anyone in a place of influence."
--Brett Andrews, National Training Director of Youth for Christ Canada, author of thesis Preparing Leaders for the Evangelism of Youth

From the Inside Flap

Never before have our daughters been more concerned and obsessed with the concept of being "fat." From kindergarten on up, girls worry about the size of their stomachs, backsides, and thighs, and even the youngest experiment with dieting and exercise. Much has been written to girls on the challenges they face with regard to body image. But where can a mother turn for advice on how to proactively parent a daughter struggling with--or soon to confront--these insecurities?

You can make a difference.

Whether your daughter is 8 or 16, Mom, I Feel Fat! will help you understand her, the body image issues she will face--from self-esteem to eating disorders--and yourself. Most of all, you'll be encouraged to use the inevitable questions and challenges regarding body image and eating choices to prevent crisis and to strengthen your relationship with your daughter and with God.

INCLUDES PRACTICAL EXERCISES AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING QUESTIONS
FOR MOM ALONE--AND FOR MOTHER AND DAUGHTER TOGETHER.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Shaw Books (November 20, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877885389
• ISBN-13: 978-0877885382
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #866,945 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sharon A. Hersh M.A., LPC is a licensed professional counselor, speaker, and author. She has written several books, including the popular Bravehearts: Unlocking the Courage to Love with Abandon. She has written four books in the Hand-in-Hand Parenting series including, Mom, I Feel Fat!, Mom, I Hate my Life!, Mom, Everyone Else Does!, and Mom, Sex is NO Big Deal!. Her most recent book is The Last Addiction: Why Self-Help is Not Enough. She is an adjunct professor in graduate counseling courses, including Sex and Sexuality and Addiction at Colorado Christian University, Mars Hill Graduate School, and Reformed Theological Seminary. She is a sought-after speaker at conferences and retreats. Sharon lives in Lone Tree, Colorado.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars wonderful book on mother-daughter relationships, June 26, 2002

By 

Barbara (Aurora, Co. United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mom, I Feel Fat: Becoming Your Daughter's Ally in Developing a Healthy Body Image (Hardcover)

"Mom I Feel Fat" is a well-written and thoughtful book to help mothers help their daughters improve their self-images. The author is a licensed professional counselor and she focuses on the entire mother daughter relationship. She asks thoughtful and provoking questions and provides stimulating exercises for the reader.

The author believes a mother has to understand her own emotions and behaviors in order to connect with and help her daughter understand hers, so this book is about the transformation of the mother as well as the daughter, which I agree is very necessary.

I would have given this book five stars were it not for the cover (I wish there were a 4 1/2 star rating, which is what I would like to give it.) The cover shows a model-perfect mother daughter pair, awash in flattering lighting. The real mother daughter pair, not so model-perfect are in a tiny picture on the back.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not quite what I was hoping for...., August 10, 2007

By 

Holly - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mom, I Feel Fat: Becoming Your Daughter's Ally in Developing a Healthy Body Image (Hardcover)

While the information in the book is decent enough, I had somehow missed that it has a fairly strong bibilical base. I have since gotten the book, You Have to Say I'm Pretty, You're My Mother, and it's a better fit for what I am looking for. I am planning to send this one onto my sister, whose beliefs are more inline with the christian principles in the book.

5 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Too much religion., August 31, 2002

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mom, I Feel Fat: Becoming Your Daughter's Ally in Developing a Healthy Body Image (Hardcover)

This otherwise promising book relied too heavily on God and religion for the lay reader.