The Zen of Eating (Paperback)

by R. Kabatznick (Author) "The Buddha made a plain and simple observation about life that he summed up in the First Noble Truth: There is suffering..." (more)
Key Phrases: optional suffering, lasting nourishment, generous speech, Hungry Ghost, Right Speech, Right Understanding (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
When it comes to weight loss, the emphasis today is shifting away from fad diets and compulsive workouts toward sane, sensible techniques that incorporate both the mind and the body. This is the first book to apply the 2,500-year-old principles of Zen Buddhism to the modern struggle with the vicious cycle of dieting, losing, and regaining weight. From a Buddhist perspective, overeating is a disorder of desire. This book will teach readers how to find freedom from eating problems and the tyranny of desire that triggers them. Filled with concrete, practical exercises and the wisdom of the ages, The Zen of Eating provides, at last, an alternative to ineffective diet programs, products, and pills.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Perigee Trade; 1st edition (March 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399523820
• ISBN-13: 978-0399523823
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #105,610 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant insight into the heart of eating disorders!, July 13, 1998

By A Customer

Finally a book that makes sense of the compulsion to overeat! In my struggles with my eating disorder, I've read more than three dozen books about the process. While I've gained a lot of help from the writing of Geneen Roth, Judi Hollis, Jane R. Hirschmann, and Carol H. Munter, The Zen of Eating is the absolute best book I've ever read about eating disorders. The Zen of Eating nudges us to look at how we live, not just how we eat. It explains the necessity of treating ourselves with loving kindness as it shows how overeating is not a disorder of will, but a disorder of desire. After I read this book, both my life and my eating suddenly made a lot more sense. This book has indeed changed my life. Although this wonderful book uses Buddha's Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path to show readers how to free themselves from compulsive eating, the book can be appreciated by readers of all faiths (or no faith at all). The author's previous personal experience a! ! s a psychologist with the Weight Watchers program and her work in soup kitchens give her important 'street level" insight into the problems of American overeaters. The book itself is gentle, kind, and affirming. I've read it twice. After each reading,I feel myself glowing, inspired, and in love with the world. The Zen of Eating is written with such compassion, love, and good common sense, I bet even non-dieters will savor it. I plan to read it at least once a year for the rest of my life.

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Introduction and Explanation of Zen Available, December 27, 1999

By A Customer

The best introduction to Zen that I've ever read. Many introductory books on Zen lack a practical explaination of Zen's more esoteric concepts, such as 'emptyness' and 'suffering', and fail to apply these concepts to the ups and downs of everyday life. This book goes beyond the concepts of Zen to make Four Noble Truths accesible through simple explanations. Additionaly, the author makes these Truths come alive by applying them to the very real problem of being fixated on food. However, even if you do not have a problem with food, by seeing the Truths applied in the real world you will imediately see the power that they offer to anyone who is struggling with a problem.

The book is organized around the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. Each recieves its own chapter containing an explaination and several examples of how individuals applied the concepts discussed to their fixation on food.

This book is for anyone searching for an accessible introduction to Zen or for learning how to apply the basic concepts of Zen to their everyday life.

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars truth in simplicity, November 2, 1999

By A Customer

This is a valuable book on several different levels. By using the Four Noble Truths and The Eightfold Path, the author not only gives us what I consider the best book I've ever read about dealing with the compulsion to overeat, but also a very simple, yet straightforward introduction to Buddhism.There is no secret to losing weight: you eat less and exercise more, but until you understand what is at the root of the compulsion to overeat, you'll never keep the weight off. By applyling the principles of Buddhism, which may be the best model that exists for how a person should live their life, there is hope that by being mindful, the constant yo-yo that is dieting can be eliminated.