The Heavy: A Mother, A Daughter, A Diet--A Memoir

The Heavy: A Mother, A Daughter, A Diet--A Memoir

For readers of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother and Bringing Up Bebe, a motherâ€™s unflinching memoir about helping her seven year-old daughter lose weight, and the challenges of modern parenting.
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When a doctor pronounced Dara-Lynn Weissâ€™s daughter Bea obese at age seven, the mother of two knew she had to take action. But how could a woman with her own food and body issuesâ€”not to mention spotty eating habitsâ€”successfully parent a little girl around the issue of obesity?
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In this much-anticipated, controversial memoir, Dara-Lynn Weiss chronicles the struggle and journey to get Bea healthy. In describing their processâ€”complete with frustrations, self-recriminations, dark humor, and some surprising strategiesâ€”Weiss reveals the hypocrisy inherent in the debates over many cultural hot-button issues: from processed snacks, organic foods, and school lunches to dieting, eating disorders, parenting methods, discipline, and kidsâ€™ self-esteem.
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Compounding the challenge were eating environmentsâ€”from school to restaurants to birthday partiesâ€”that set Bea up to fail, and unwelcome judgments from fellow parents. Childhood obesity, Weiss discovered, is a crucible not just for the child but also for parents. She was criticized as readily for enabling Beaâ€™s condition as she was for enforcing the rigid limits necessary to address it. Never before had Weiss been made to feel so wrong for trying to do the right thing.
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The damned if you do/damned if you donâ€™t predicament came into sharp relief when Weiss raised some of these issues in a Vogue article. Critics came out in full force, and Weiss unwittingly found herself at the center of an emotional and highly charged debate on childhood obesity.
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A touching and relatable story of loving a child enough to be unpopular, The Heavy will leave readers applauding Weissâ€™s success, her bravery, and her unconditional love for her daughter.

Advance praise for The Heavy
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â€œHave you ever been â€˜that motherâ€™? You know, the one who others criticize or question? If so, then you know what incredible courage and daring it can take to raise a child in a way that doesn't always meet other peopleâ€™s expectations. Dara-Lynn Weiss is inspirational for her sheer will, her unwavering dedication, and her willingness to take accountability for her own actions. The Heavy is a stark look at imperfect parentingâ€”and why our mistakes make us better parents.â€â€”Christine Carter, author of Raising Happiness
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â€œDara-Lynn Weiss had to defy her childâ€™s school, the judgments of other parents, and our fast food culture to rescue her daughter from the epidemic of obesity. Parents should see this as an inspirationâ€”and a wake-up call.â€â€”Amy Dickinson, â€œAsk Amyâ€ advice columnist and author of The Mighty Queens of Freeville
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â€œThe Heavy should be required reading for every parent because it tacklesâ€”with refreshing honestyâ€”that universal question weâ€™ll all face: how to do whatâ€™s best for our children, even when the kids resist our efforts and society judges our approach. Dara-Lynn Weiss has written a brave book and started a crucial and overdue national conversation.â€â€”Abigail Pogrebin, author of One and the Same and Stars of David

Country	USA
Author	Dara-Lynn Weiss
Binding	Kindle Edition
Edition	1
EISBN	9780345541352
Format	Kindle eBook
Label	Ballantine Books
Manufacturer	Ballantine Books
NumberOfPages	258
PublicationDate	2013-01-15
Publisher	Ballantine Books
ReleaseDate	2013-01-15
Studio	Ballantine Books

The Heavy: A Mother, A Daughter, A Diet--A Memoir

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