PARTING IS SUCH SWEET SORROW

A specialist in eating problems addresses how readers can change their relationships with food in this debut motivational guide.

Parente, who has treated hundreds of patients with eating disorders, focuses on a theme not often expressed in traditional diet books: “To change your relationship with food you must work through and grieve loss. A change in one’s eating presents an emotional loss, sometimes manifested in feelings of emptiness.” With this intriguing notion driving the content, the work is as much about psychological factors as it is about eating problems—primarily overeating and binge eating, as noted by the author. Parente approaches the challenge in a methodical way, leading readers through a logical process of understanding the problem and embracing the need to change. Most notable is the volume’s reliance on numerous case studies—self-contained anecdotes based on patients treated by the author. These stories are particularly impactful because they delve into the issues behind specific eating problems, pointedly depicting why a dramatic change in attitude is both difficult and empowering. “The Story of Angela,” for example, demonstrates the relationship of food to loss. Angela endured a 20-pound weight gain without realizing that it was related to the loss of her spouse: “The loss of her husband represented emptiness, fear, and anxiety; thus, she began to fill the void with food. You might identify with how Angela used food to cope with her loss.” Parente weaves these tales throughout the book to illustrate the six steps in her “Template for Change,” a tool intended to guide readers in overcoming any eating problem. The six steps—Acknowledgment of the Problem, Shame, Anger, Fear & Anxiety, Inner Voices, and Belief & Acceptance—are explained in individual chapters and tidily tied together in a Summary section at the end of the book. While designed to address eating problems, it seems as if this process could generally apply to any major change one may need to make; as such, the template has residual value. Parente writes compassionately and knowledgeably about a thorny subject.

A useful manual that effectively opens the door to the underlying causes of eating problems.