An Apple a Day

Yes, I did just read another book about anorexia. Why? Because it was there.

I got mildly into a British reality series Superfats vs Superskinnies (or something) which Woolf was also doing a bit on anorexia during that season? The concept is pairing undereaters with overeaters and forcing them to eat each other's meals in order to confront them with their dysfunctions - very “can't look/can't look away” For her part Woolf talked to range of types of anorexics to show it's not just waify teenage girls who are affected.

Woolf did a weekly column on trying to work on recovering from anorexia after 13-14 years with the disease in the hopes of being able to conceive a baby with her BF. The book feels like the culmination of that particular project. It explores what it is like to have to fight your brain on very basic human needs. Woolf also claims to have other undiagnosed mental problems, but didn't seem to be undergoing care at that point. I was curious about her sudden flashes of rage as she starts to gain weight and experience more feelings. There seemed to be so much repressed - not that she must expose all in a memoir - but it did fuel some armchair psychology.

She does go on a weird rant about how obesity is somehow more destructive for children than other forms of malnutrition. Which seems like a great wallop of whataboutism in the middle of your completely unable to deal with food memoir. Log - eye - something something. YMMV.