This little book seeks to bring a message of hope to those people who are suffering from a broad range of eating disorders including binge eating disorder (compulsive eating), bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa. In addition, there is a section on eating disorders in men, which are much rarer, plus a section for carers from the perspectives of a mother and a husband. The book closes with an afterword and an appendix of addresses, websites and books.

There is a strong Christian emphasis throughout the text. Using the powerful tool of personal testimony on a chapter by chapter basis, the book follows themes that lead to each person's recovery from their particular disorder. There are three testimonies under each category, each one making the very important point that recovery was only achieved through partnership with God. The book does not purport that recovery is easy. In most cases it was a lengthy voyage of personal discovery, leading to greater honesty in dealings with others and God, through commitment to change, forgiveness and challenging unhelpful thoughts. There is an implicit message that people with eating disorders are individuals with individual reasons for developing their illness, and so there is no blanket solution. Accordingly, some individuals receive help from a variety of sources over time to reach that place of healing.

I would thoroughly recommend this book for any Christian who seeks to have a deeper understanding of eating disorders. It is a sound and helpful text that covers a large amount of ground in seeking to embrace a message of hope for both men and women suffering from all forms of eating disorders. This means that it has a broad appeal and perhaps could be most usefully employed as a source of encouragement for everyone who has been touched, either personally or indirectly, by the shame and tragedy of an eating disorder.

For the professional working in a more secular setting, it would be an ideal book to use in the pre-contemplative phase of therapy ie in those people who are struggling for a motivation to change. Because of its strong Christian emphasis, care would need to be taken in checking that, at the very least, the client has Christian sympathies.

Reviewed by:
Angus Bell
Associate Medical Director of Teesside Psychiatric Services