Customer Reviews

Starving: A Personal Journey Through Anorexia

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

It was all I could do to make it through this book! I was under the mistaken impression that it would get to the heart of the author's eating disorder. There were too many religious quotes in the book. I am a practicing Catholic, but this was a little like reading a Sunday sermon! I wanted to know what she thought, how she felt, what caused her to do this, etc. Instead, it was full of references about "how your body is a temple." I would never recommend this book to anyone who may be really interested in reading about eating disorders.

This book is not for those turned off by having religion thrown in your face.
I bought this book in the hopes that there was someone else out there I could relate to in my eating disorder struggle. Instead, I found a book where being anorexic is constantly labeled a "sin", and I was reminded over and over again how "bad" I am for being anorexic, and how much I disappoint 'God' by being this way.
Nearly every entry in this book (written in diary format) makes a reference to God, religion or Bible verses. I'm not against religion by all means, but I was not expecting this.

A better choice of reading would be Slim to None: A Journey through the Wastelands of Anorexia Treatment by Jennifer Hendricks.

I can't say enough good things about this book. This is a must read for anyone who has (or might have) an eating disorder or even anyone who thinks they might know someone who has one. It is especially helpful for Christians who struggle to understand how other Christians, or even they themselves, can let negative thoughts and the "need" to be thin control their lives and actions, even when they know that God looks for the inward beauty of a person. I was amazed at how easily I related to Christe Pettit and her struggle to understand God's role in her disorder. I cannot tell you how many times I was thinking something and then turned the page to see my exact thoughts written on the page, staring back at me. It opened my eyes in so many ways...

This book is incredible.It offers insight into the mind of a sufferer as well as giving honest truths about society's attitudes in general.I would recommend it to anyone who is trying to understand/overcome an eating disorder or is simply struggling with their self-image.It is interspersed with uplifting quotations which are fast becoming my fuel for fighting my thoughts.As a strong Christian trying to recover from anorexia it was overwhelming to read of Mrs Pettit's experiences and be able to relate them to my own.The truth and honesty of her story and how scarily like me it is shook me up and has given fresh determination to conquer my obsession.Giving it to my fiance to read has also helped me to expain feelings i cannot articulate.The best part is the focus on self-worth being about your qualities and importance as a person to other people and to God rather than your weight.Mrs Pettit is a fantastic role model and reading her book has been an experience which has opened my mind to a new,liberating way of thinking.So needless to say,read it!

Ms. Pettit gives an excellent, painfully honest account of what it's like to live with an ED. The one concern is that it may be triggering to anorexics whose overly-religious families contributed to their ED. Still, she gives a good example of how positive religion can be to recovery.

This book is well written and obviously comes from the heart. Ms. Pettit's experiences are occurring far too often on college campuses today. Even though it is written by a strong Christian, it still would be helpful to people of other faiths. It would also be helpful if read by family members of a person struggling with an eating disorder, because it could help them understand the thought process.
It was very brave of Ms. Pettit to share her private journal with others. Also, she has obviously done a lot of research to understand her problem, and it is helpful that she shared that as well.

This book was very good. I needed to read a book that would encourage me to continue to fight my eating disorder from a Christian perspective. I love the author's honesty that changing eating behaviors is and continues to be difficult for her, but it's worth the fight. I am reccomending this book to my friend who also struggles with an eating disorder.

After reading the reviews for this book, I felt compelled to write one for those of you considering the purchase of this book.

I agree with the comments that this book was very Christian in nature and if you are not a Christian then this book may not be the right approach for you to help you with your eating disorders. Also, if you do not have an eating disorder or are not struggling with low self esteem this book is not designed to help you understand friends or relatives who may have these problems. This book is designed to help Christians struggling with eating disorders.

As a strong Christian who has constantly battled low self esteem and continues to battle with bulimia and excessive dieting, this was the only thing that spoke to my heart and helped me see how destructive I was being. For me having a strong family support, going to a nutritionist, a secular counselor, and a christian counselor all failed to make much of an impact at all in my destructive eating disorder. They gave me important tools and helped me along the way, but when I sought out this book and read it with an open mind and a desperate heart, I was sucked in and really found peace within myself.

I wish I still had my copy of the book but I gave it to a friend to read because I wanted to share the message of this book.

I have never seen a book be so honest and so truthful about the thoughts, feelings, and hopelessness going on in your mind while struggling with day to day life. It made you feel like you were not the only one out there and still gave you so many amazing verses, ideas, and built you up in a way nothing else has done for me. I would suggest this book to anyone who is struggling with an eating disorder, with their self esteem, or with their self image. It is amazing.

Mrs. Pettit does an excellent job writing about her own personal journey through an eating disorder. Today we focus so much on secular ways to treat eating disorders that we forget that God is the only one the that can deliver one from the pain of an eating disorder. I found Mrs. Pettit's journey of using Christ's strength to get through her eating disorder very encouraging. She is the only person I have found so far that is willing to write about how God helped her through her battle. If you are looking for a spiritual way instead of a purely secular way to get through an eating disorder, read this book. You will not be sorry.

I've read alot of books on eating disorders and this one was the worst. I reminded me of a college term paper. On every page there was a quote and credits given. Plus it was excedingly religious. Now I don't mind reference to God and religion. I went to 16 years of Catholic school but this was extreme over kill with bibical quotes on almost every page. The constant theme was how her eating disorder had "offended God". I couldn't wait to finish it (and it seemed to take FOREVER)!