The Religion of Thinness: Satisfying the Spiritual Hungers Behind Women's Obsession with Food and Weight

by Michelle M. Lelwica

Overview

With so many women approaching their diets, body image, and pursuit of a slender figure with slavish devotion, The Religion of Thinness is a timely addition to the discussion of our cultural obsession with weight loss. At the heart of this obsession is the belief that in order to be happy, one must be slim, and the attendant myths, rituals, images, and moral codes can leave some women with severe emotional damage. Idealized images in the media inspire devotees of this “religion” to experience guilt for behaviors that are biologically normal and necessary, and Lelwica offers two ways to combat this dangerous cultural message. Advising readers to look hard at the societal cues that cause them to obsess about their weight, and to remain mindful about their actions and needs, this book will not only help stop the cycle of guilt and shame associated with food, it will help readers to grow and accept their bodies as they are.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780936077550
Publisher:	TURNER PUB CO
Publication date:	12/01/2009
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	16 Years

About the Author

In addition to The Religion of Thinness, Dr. Michelle Lelwica is also the author of Starving for Salvation: The Spiritual Dimensions of Eating Problems among American Girls and Women (Oxford, 1999), which is an academic analysis of the religious and cultural underpinnings of eating disorders and related problems. Additionally, she has published a number of scholarly articles, delivered papers, and lectured widely on the role of religion and spirituality in women’s relationships with food and their bodies.

She is currently Associate Professor in the Religion Department at Concordia College—Moorhead, MN where she teaches classes that deal with embodiment, mindfulness, religion, gender, and cultural critique. She studied religion at Harvard Divinity School, where she received her Doctorate of Theology (ThD) in the area of Religion, Gender, and Culture in 1996. 

Michelle lives with her husband and two children in northern Minnesota. She is motivated by the dream of creating a world in which the bodies and spirits of all people—and all beings—are loved, nurtured, and respected not in spite of but because of their marvelous diversity.

Table of Contents

Introduction xvii

1 Changing the Paradigm 27

From "The Religion of Thinness" to Practicing Peace with Our Bodies

2 From Illusion to Insight 61

Dispelling "The Myth of Thinness" and Creating a New Sense of Purpose

3 From Idolatry to Inspiration 91

Seeing Through "The Icons of Thinness" and Finding New Sources for Self-Definition

4 From Control to Connection 129

"The Rituals of Thinness" and Our Need for Transformation

5 From Judgment to Responsibility 165

"The Morality of Thinness" and Our Need for Virtue

6 From Conformity to Self-Acceptance 207

"The Community of Thinness" and Our Need for Unconditional Love

7 From Escape to Presence 245

"The Salvation of Thinness" and Our Need for Peace

Endnotes 285

Index 305