OBSESSED (Mika Brzezinski)

This book left me with an uneasy feeling, for some reason.  I found the facts on the American diet to be horrifying, but not necessarily surprising.  I agree with Mika's assessment of changes needed to our diet and exercise routines and I do believe that a large number of people are destroying their health with their dietary choices.  I myself need to lose at least 10 pounds and I know that willpower is difficult to maintain with the media's constant barrage of misleading invitations, packaged in mouthwatering  TV ads, billboards, and store displays, to consume fats, sugars, and other basically unhealthy foods.  I am, however, a great believer in all things in moderation rather than deprivation and dieting.  This is the way to maintain good health, as Mika points out.

I especially enjoyed Diane Smith's story of her ongoing journey from obesity, which was having a detrimental effect on both her mobility and her career, to a healthy weight through nutrition and exercise.  I also appreciated the statistics and first-person commentary by experts and people who had conquered difficult weight problems, as well as Mika's admission that her own eating and exercise habits have for years been geared toward appearance rather than good health.  "Obsessed" is a valuable collection of  facts and insights into the health issues associated with obesity.  I think the thing that bothered me about this book, though, was the constant undertone of thinner (not just thin enough) being better.  I remember at one point her stating that 135 was a healthy weight for a woman 5'7" or 5' 8" (she was referring to a couple of people other than herself).  While this is certainly true (you can't argue with a BMI of 20 or 21), a weight of 150 is also healthy for that height range, with a BMI of around 23 and well within the guidelines for healthy weights, but Mika was rather absolute in her assessment of what is healthy.  She did mention Gayle King, who is over 5'10" tall, being happy with her weight of 162 (again, a BMI in the 22-23 range), but the tone implied not that Gayle was fit and healthy but, rather, that it was nice that Gayle was psychologically able to accept herself at this weight.  Maybe I'm just reading too much into Mika's observations because I am obsessed with my waistline (or lack thereof).  I appreciate her willingness to admit and take action on her own weight issues and I agree completely that the American diet needs an overhaul.  Maybe she could lighten up a little bit, though, for all the people who are actually at a healthy BMI, but not at the lower end.  I do believe that this is a book worth reading and I would recommend it, but unless you are either at a BMI of 20 (you probably are if you are 16 years old - I know I was!) or vigorously working out and eating healthy all the time, be prepared to feel a little bit defensive.