SOCIAL SCIENCES

The Eating Instinct: Food Culture, Body Image, and Guilt in America

by Virginia Sole-Smith
Holt. Nov. 2018. 304p. notes. index. ISBN 9781250120984. $28; ebk. ISBN 9781250120991. SOC SCI
COPY ISBN
The story of freelance writer Sole-Smith's (New York Times Magazine, Harper's, Slate) daughter is harrowing and will quickly draw readers into this survey of American eating culture. Unable to eat properly in her first few weeks of life, the author's daughter had a feeding tube inserted. Their journey to remove the tube and learn to eat "normally" again leads to question, what is "normal" eating anyway? Modern Americans, particularly women and children, are bombarded with conflicting messages of what they should eat and when. Sole-Smith covers many topics from picky eating to gastric bypass surgery and particularly focuses on societal messages around what children and pregnant women should eat but also address other adults and different socioeconomic classes.
VERDICT As noted early on, this book discusses topics that might be uncomfortable for some readers, and as such is not for everyone, particularly those with a difficult history with food. That said, readers wishing to learn more about disordered eating as well as those looking to be more mindful about food and the social messaging around it, will find this work useful.
Reviewed by Cate Schneiderman, Emerson Coll., Boston , Nov 01, 2018
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

REFERENCE

Critical Insights: Power & Corruption
REFERENCE

Current Biography Yearbook 2023
NONFICTION

1974: A Personal History
by Prose, Francine
NONFICTION

Then I Am Myself the World: What Consciousness Is and How To Expand It
by Koch, Christof
NONFICTION

Playing for Freedom: The Journey of a Young Afghan Girl
by Adiba, Zarifa & Anne Chaon
NONFICTION

Bloody Tuesday: The Untold Story of the Struggle for Civil Rights in Tuscaloosa
by Giggie, John M
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?