BEING YOU

Following Markey’s The Body Image Book for Girls (2020), this title co-authored with Hart and Zacher offers an extended pep talk aimed at tween and teen boys.

Bolstered by personal statements and advice from dozens of interviewees in their midteens to mid-20s—including one who discusses his transition, another who is gay and Black, a little person, and a 15-year-old with diabetes—the co-authors, academics from the field of psychology, urge readers to be comfortable in their own skins rather than trying to be like celebrities, influencers, or professional athletes. The approach isn’t so much “anything goes” as common-sensical; aside from occasional strictures against, for instance, nutritional supplements, sexting, and food fads, the general course recommended is a middle one. Occasional fast food or soda is OK so long as there is plenty of fresh and home-prepared food in the mix; exercise is important but shredded abs are not; and self-compassion achieves better results than setting unrealistic goals. The increasing obesity of American youth receives a single glancing mention, and the book supports the Health at Every Size framework. The research-based content, backed up by checklists, quotes from doctors, and resources, lends heft to the upbeat message. While debunking the myth that boys are not susceptible to eating disorders, the focus is less on problems than finding ways to acknowledge them and move on. The illustrations are mostly diagrams or graphic-style spot art.

The positivity is relentless, but anxious readers may be left feeling a bit less pressured.