Review by Marlene Engel
In this
memoir, Dawn tells a story of her childhood in the 70s, living with an
over-weight father who tried practically every diet out there, a mother who
could care less about food and a grandmother who had a huge influence over her
love of nurturing the body with healthy food. We are given great
insight on how insecurities, parents’ views on nutrition, and stress play a
role in how we eat. Although Dawn’s father used food as a crutch,
this book is about much more than just an overweight father. It’s
about why people turn to food, the misconceptions of fad diets and how everyday
struggles can play a huge role on our diet.
Written
with such honesty, but sprinkled with the perfect amount of humor, the author
brings the reader into her world (and in essence, her family) and exposes how
easily children can be misguided by what they see during their everyday
lives. But it was the relationship that Dawn had with her
grandmother that hit me. It showed that when people take time to
properly educate the youth, it’s amazing how influential they can be on their
future.
I grew
up with a Filipino mother and Italian father. Talk about cultures
that love to feed others and celebrate with food! Like Dawn, my
father has tried many of the fad diets. Growing up we were taught to
eat what was put on the table, never to waste food and appreciate that our
bellies were full. As I got older, I realized some of the things I
would’ve done differently, and do now as a wife and parent.
I really
enjoyed this book. I was able to relate to much of it and felt like
I was brought back to my own childhood.
Purchase
the book at:
About the Author:
I am a board-certified
nutrition expert and contributor to the New York Times Well Blog,
as well as the founder of Magnificent
Mommies, a company specializing in personal, corporate, and
school-based education.
I am recognized as a
nutrition expert, counseling clients on weight loss, diabetes, high blood
pressure, ADHD, and other diet-related conditions. I lecture at schools and
corporations as well as contributing to local and national media outlets.
I am the mother of two
children, Dylan and Sofia. We live in New York City.
Connect
with the author at:
Dawn is giving one lucky winner a print copy of
My Fat Dad
a Rafflecopter giveaway
My mother was born in Germany and survived WW11 as a child having spent many years with little food. Growing up sge always let my sisters and I eat first then she would eat.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in a Hispanic household. Both my parents struggled with weight and did a lot of the "popular" diets. They'd lose the weight only to gain it back and some. I look forward to reading this book. I hate a feeling I'll be able to relate to it.
ReplyDeleteAriana Lorato
Arlorato@gmail.com
Growing up, I saw my mom's relationship with food as mostly healthy. I learned some great habits from her. But I also learned some restrictive tendencies, too. For most of my life, I could have cared less about food other than making sure I ate...Now I focus mostly on making healthy choices, keeping only healthy foods in the house; but I almost wish I could get back to where I used to be - that food wasn't as big of a deal as it is to me now.
ReplyDeleteOur family enjoyed meals, celebrations, holidays and being Jewish there was always delectable food which we enjoyed, probably too much and too heavy but what did I know when I was younger and growing up. I eat differently now and enjoy different foods.
ReplyDeleteMy mother has always watched her figure, so I've learned not only to look good, but to also be aware of what goes into my body. I love eating healthy. My dad has suffered a few heart attacks and is in many meds, which is the reason I take so much care of myself because I don't want to risk developing these illnesses that come from not eating the right foods.
ReplyDeleteI lost 20 pounds in one month when I got braces as a teenager. I could not eat much food. The food that I could eat...I had to eat slowly.
ReplyDeleteGrew up the same as many - food a central part of life and celebrations, taught not to waste, not to question what was put in front of hard. Hard habits to break.
ReplyDeleteFood has always been a big part of our family celebrations. It's always been hard for me as an adult to have a healthy relationship with food. I go from starving myself all day to eating one big meal at the end of the day that tends to not be the healthiest! :(
ReplyDeleteMy grandfather grew watermelons for the market. I can remember putting a watermelon into the creek to cool it down & then eating as much as I wanted. Still love watermelon.
ReplyDeleteThere were many years growing up the seven of us lived off just coconuts or cornbread with a couple of beans inside. Mum turned it into a game of Who Csn Find The Bean. We grew up really not interested in food which was ironic because mum loved to cook.
ReplyDeletenothing to share
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