The Ministry of Thin
How the Pursuit of Perfection Got Out of Control
Published on 14. May 2013
Book
Paperback/Softback
320 pages
978-1-84953-412-3 (ISBN)
Description
Losing weight has become the modern woman's holy grail... everything will be better when we're thin.
We're obsessed with weight, we dislike our bodies, we worry about the food we eat, we feel guilty, we diet... Too many of us are locked into a war with our own bodies which we'll never win, and which will never make us happy.
The Ministry of Thin takes a controversial, unflinching look at how the modern obsession with weight loss, youth, beauty and perfection got out of control. Emma Woolf, author of An Apple a Day, explores how we might all be able to stop hating and start liking our own bodies again. And she dares to ask: if losing weight is the answer, what is the question?
We're obsessed with weight, we dislike our bodies, we worry about the food we eat, we feel guilty, we diet... Too many of us are locked into a war with our own bodies which we'll never win, and which will never make us happy.
The Ministry of Thin takes a controversial, unflinching look at how the modern obsession with weight loss, youth, beauty and perfection got out of control. Emma Woolf, author of An Apple a Day, explores how we might all be able to stop hating and start liking our own bodies again. And she dares to ask: if losing weight is the answer, what is the question?
Reviews / Votes
A very honest, intelligent reflection on the causes and effects of society's obsession with thin. * Dr Linda Papadopoulos * The Ministry of Thin is frank, funny, and fascinating - I wanted to shout "hear, hear" at the end of almost every sentence. * Anne H. Putnam, author of Navel Gazing: One Woman's Quest for a Size Normal * A brilliant and brutal look at the world of thin, by a writer who knows too well the damaging effects of such a persuasive club. Think you are immune to their rhetoric? Then think again. * Dr Christian Jessen * She talks much sense having been through 10 years of anorexia. * The Bookseller * this book might make you a little more conscious when dealing with patients who may be battling with body image problems, or an eating disorder. * Student BMJ (British Medical Journal) * Thoughtfully written and incisive, Emma Woolf looks at the darker side of our obsession with dieting... * Ian Marber * Woolf sets her stall out with brio... a hypnotist's finger-click signalling women to wake up. * The Observer *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Octopus Publishing Group
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 195 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
275 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-84953-412-3 (9781849534123)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
06/2013
1st Edition
Summersdale Publishers Ltd
€9.69
Available for download
E-Book
05/2013
Summersdale Publishers
€3.99
Available for download
Person
Emma Woolf is the great-niece of Virginia Woolf. After studying English at Oxford University she worked in publishing, before becoming a full-time writer. She is a columnist for The Times and also writes for The Independent, The Mail on Sunday, Harper's Bazaar, Red, Grazia and Psychologies. She was a co-presenter on Channel 4's Supersize vs Superskinny; other media appearances include Newsnight, Woman's Hour and Radio 4's Four Thought.
Emma's first book, An Apple a Day: A Memoir of Love and Recovery from Anorexia was published in 2012 and shortlisted for the Beat Award for Recovery Inspiration. She was also nominated for Mind's Journalist of the Year. She lives in London.
You can follow Emma on Twitter: @ejwoolf.
Review of The Ministry of Thin in The Observer: "Woolf sets her stall out with brio. [...] Woolf's skill in is in adding intellectual and emotional ballast to the debates that interest her. In its best moments, this book emerges as a hypnotist's finger-click signalling women to wake up."
Emma's first book, An Apple a Day: A Memoir of Love and Recovery from Anorexia was published in 2012 and shortlisted for the Beat Award for Recovery Inspiration. She was also nominated for Mind's Journalist of the Year. She lives in London.
You can follow Emma on Twitter: @ejwoolf.
Review of The Ministry of Thin in The Observer: "Woolf sets her stall out with brio. [...] Woolf's skill in is in adding intellectual and emotional ballast to the debates that interest her. In its best moments, this book emerges as a hypnotist's finger-click signalling women to wake up."