Confessions of a Midnight Eater: Feeding & Fortifying the Beast called Compulsive Overeating

When you, as a potential reader, look at a morbidly obese man, woman or child, do the common critical thoughts of "lack of willpower, lazy, uncaring, or glutton" spring into your mind? Or, are you an inquiring reader, unsure if these stereotypes really describe these obese individuals? That maybe there are other more sinister, even hidden factors which motivate one to compulsively overeat and even "grow" into the morbidly obese arena? The author asserts, and then explains, how these inquiring minds may very well be correct. Taken from the writings of today's experts on human nature, the author combines their expertise with her own troubled pathway to obesity. She then cements their works with a new mental health approach taken from her own personal, educational and professional background. Yes, the author expounds that there are actually many sinister culprits potentially contributing to the birth of obesity, especially for the morbidly obese. This writing explains how the common factors often associated with weight gain are indeed part of the formula for fat-gaining. These factors include, but are not limited to: the media, cultural (body image problems), social, environmental and even genetic. However, this book includes, but goes much farther along than, the rationale that the normal culprits are easily corrected by merely eating better and exercising more; that with a touch of willpower, the weight will simply go away. But, did you know that 55-70% of those diagnosed as morbidly obese are also survivors of childhood abuse (sexual, physical, emotional), neglect and/or abandonment and may actually be acting out the oft long-term after-effects of these violations? All readers may not agree with this statement, but this book goes far- and explains well- how this unfortunate phenomena occurs and ultimately may lead to compulsive overeating. (This factor may actually account for the fact that several female, national celebrities who have battled with weight gain and loss for years and who have publicly exposed their own past childhood sexual abuse encounters, described as "life-changers" and precursors to negative life's outcomes. Yes, this author asserts that, "it's not what you eat, it's what's eating you." The author goes beyond the usual prescriptions towards achieving weight loss and becoming obesity-free to a deeper, more sensitive understanding that the road to a cure may be more about curing the mind and then the body will follow to physical health.