Fat Girl? Says Who?

I wander the hallways of the middle school I work at and I remember how out of place I felt when I was twelve. I was shy because I didn't want to draw attention to myself. I was overweight and so self-conscious. On top of that, I hated being told I was fat. I hated going to the doctor, I hated gym class, I hated everything about middle school. It brought out my weight issues because all the other girls looked the same. They were skinny and perfect. I was fat, so what boy would want to look my way? I couldn't get a date, heck I couldn't even get a compliment. Middle school was the worst time of my life because I just didn't fit in, literally. Going to the richer middle school had its disadvantages because no one was very accepting of differences. Being overweight meant you were a target for bullying and jokes. After reading Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies by Erin Dionne, I realized if these books were around when I was in middle school perhaps I wouldn't have been so self-loathing.

This books begins with Celeste, who is overweight. She comes home from school, eats her chocolate cookies, and is completely content with this routine. She is always made fun of by the popular crowd, but she has a best friend, Sandy, who always stands up for her. Her parents don't press the weight issue, but Celeste knows everyone views her as the "fat" girl. When her Aunt signs her up for a  plus size model competition, Celeste is horrified. There is no way she is going to try to draw more attention to herself and her weight issues. Then she comes up with an idea: she can't win the Husky Peach competition if she's not fat. So Celeste's weight loss journey begins. She encounters lost friendship, struggles with eating, and she begins to develop the confidence she never knew she had. This story was very sweet and inspiring because shy fat girl turns out to have some confidence in herself. Enough so that in the end, she discovers who her real friends are, and she is not afraid to tell people exactly what she's thinking.

Another book I just finished literally five minutes ago, Artichoke's Heart by Suzanne Supplee, dwells on similar issues. Rosie is overweight. Her mother and aunt buy her gifts like weight loss books, treadmills, and work out clothes in order for Rosie to get the hint and drop the pounds. The more she is pushed, the more frustrated she gets. It appears nothing is going to make her food obsession cease, until she catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She tries a few of her own weight loss experiments, then slowly begins to see a change in herself. Plus, she has her eye on Kyle, who is a jock and is gorgeous. After seeing a therapist for her weight, her issues become more evident. It appears weight gain and food aren't the only thing Rosie is dealing with. This book is about discovering yourself and realizing that although you may not be a skinny, inside is what matters most. I fell in love with this book! I have been in Rosie's shoes, and I have come out on the other end. I enjoyed her journey, and it is an inspirational story that many overweight girls can relate to.
I liked Artichoke better that Chocolate Cookies because Rosie is a teenage girl who needs to discover herself. Celeste is a young girl who starts losing weight because she didn't want to be in a beauty pageant. Also, Rosie's story was more believable. It was easier to see her ups and downs, and it was easier to understand her frustration and hurt because if you were an overweight girl you could easily relate.
Both of these books were easy to read. Ironically enough, they were my gym reads; just something simple to read that was interesting and kept my mind off the treadmill. These books were published a few years ago, but it means there is hope for the future that authors may begin writing their novels with overweight, curvy, heroines in mind. In addition, it's always nice to read a book about someone who was in, or is in, your position with weight loss. As an adult, I realized in middle school/high school, all I needed was someone to tell me they understood my problem. I needed to hear an inspirational story because maybe I would have pushed myself too. Believe it or not, ever since I started reading those books I have a new outlook on my being overweight. I have begun to see the beautiful things about me rather than the pieces of fat that make me cringe. I have even, gasp, worn shorts twice this year. :) For those of you who know me, you KNOW pigs have officially flown. It sometimes just takes a little inspiration, or a cutely worded novel, to dig you out of a hole.

Another thing I like is these books are giving girls a clear picture that perhaps the size zeros of the world aren't always that well off. T.V  always paints a wonderful picture of fat people becoming thin like magic because that is what is expected and 'right'. The media thinks 'perfect' is a small, delicate girl, with long hair and bright brown eyes. I was so glad that these books were more down to earth and gave a real life picture of what it's like to be struggling with weight loss. Neither of these girls became bean pole thin, but they both felt good about themselves. And it shows young women today that size zero isn't always what is desired, and sometimes it isn't always the healthy route to shoot for. It's really about loving the person you are, and I think that point is frequently missed among the youth today.
Plus by Veronica Chambers is on my list to read soon. It sounds like a Cinderella story of weight loss and yes more self-discovery.We shall see. Check my shelfari update on that one. :)