Reading Log for March

Book title: She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb                                       March 16, 2014

Part I. 

“Within patriarchal society, women who are victimized by male violence have had to pay a price for breaking the silence and naming the problem. They have had to be seen as fallen women, who have failed in their 'feminine' role to sensitize and civilize the beast in the man.”

– Bell Hooks, US feminist writer

           

            At a time when most of us could feel a little moment of triumph, spending some time with Dolores Price is a great therapy. I love her story of courage, rebirth and second chances. Dolores was a victim of violence during childhood. She was raped when she was twelve, few years after her parents separated. Her mother had an affair with the man who raped her, and her father never communicated with her for many years which made her despise her parents very much. She wasn’t able to handle the trauma it has given her, thus causing her to use food as her stress reliever. As I expected, she gained too much weight later on. 

            Dolores and I have a lot in common— although I never suffered much like her, somehow, I have experienced some of those misfortunes. I too suffered too much stress during my early teenage years brought about by family problems which triggered me to spend the next few years nourishing myself with chocolate bars, potato chips and soft drinks. Let’s just skip the how-much-weight-did-I-gain part. Anyway, like Dolores, I too got to my feet and gave myself another chance.

            Many people say that obesity is not caused by stress, just by eating too much. No way! It’s a domino effect— when one gets stressed, he may either lose or gain weight because he may not eat at all or eat too much to ease the tension he feels inside. Obesity can become a chronic lifelong condition caused by overeating, physical inactivity, and even genetic makeup. No matter what the cause, however, obesity can be prevented or managed with a combination of diet, exercise, behavior modification, and in severe cases, weight-loss medications and surgery (Foster, 2009).

            Nowadays, obesity has been one of the greatest diseases people are battling with. Many eating and exercise habits combine to promote weight gain. Certain times, places, activities, and emotions may be linked to periods of overeating or inactivity. Many obesity treatment programs recommend individuals keep a food diary that records all food or drink consumed, when and with whom it was consumed, and the mood or precipitating events that trigger eating. After one to two weeks, the diary may reveal a pattern of activities or negative emotions that lead to overeating. Once these eating cues are identified, techniques can be developed and practiced to prevent unwanted eating habits. If people are aware of this problem arising within their household, worse case scenarios will be prevented.

            I am posting this challenge to everyone who has the same case as Dolores. If Dolores was able to get up from her situation, are you able to do the same too? Or will you stuck yourself inside your bedroom, sitting on the couch, and drowning yourself with chips and soda? The decision is in your hands.

Part II.