Fat and Proud: The Politics of Size

Rating:
Summary: Wounded Tiger Politics
Review: "Fat And Proud" truly made me angry. By using the most worst case scenarios which overweight people could face, the author has done nothing but vent anger against sound medical judgement concerning obesity. From reading this book I couldn't help but think of a wounded tiger who'd fallen into an open pit, growling at its family members who'd been more careful. This not a helpful read, but an angry one.

Rating:
Summary: Irresponsible
Review: As one who was once overweight and who knows the humiliation of biased notions of beauty, I was interested by the title of this book. Now while the author makes some adequate observations about society's prejustices against the overweight, this book left me with the feeling the author is simply attempting to make these flawed concepts a scapegoat for poor choices. Any act of discrimination is unforgivable and should not be tolerated, and I am only too familiar with cruelty vented toward the overweight. Yet, an attempt to promote pride for an unhealthy life choice is not only self-serving but also irresponsible.

Rating:
Summary: excellent book
Review: I found this book to be engaging and empowering! I disagree strongly with those reviewers who claim that Cooper is irresponsible by celelbrating an "unhealthy life choice." Fat in of itself is not necessarily unhealthy. A fat person who excercises if far healthier than a thin person who does not. In addition, it has been proven that dieting and other dangerous weight loss methods (such as intestinal and gastric bypass surgeries) are far less healthy than simply trying to maintain one's normal body weight, even if it by definition "overweight."