The Obsession

The Obsession: Reflections on the Tyranny of Slenderness by Kim Chernin is a very interesting book, and I do recommend reading it. Written over 20 years ago, it still is very relevant to women today. It is about dieting, eating, anorexia, and the power of women. Why is anorexia found almost exclusively among women? Why was it being found in almost epidemic numbers at that particular time? Why are women the ones who diet, to whom the diet books, magazines, and groups are marketed? Kim Chernin answers these questions and many more on an interesting journey into the culture and eventually the soul of current life. I don’t agree with everything she said, but some of her observations are simply amazing and well worth it.