Fat Chance Books

I read the book because I've been a Stephen Fry fan for years and had not heard about the event the book describes. Gray writes clearly and beautifully, brings you with him into the theatre world as he tells his side of the story, with some (understandable) frustration but without recrimination. I intend to read more of Gray's work.

"Fat Chance At Last!...How to Go Beyond Willpower" is a chance-of-a-lifetime available to readers for a Healthy, Well-Balanced, Have-It-All Lifestyle!

In today's healthcare quagmire it is exciting to find a book that truly puts together so much practical, usable information, and provides so many logical insights into balancing the body for optimum health. Although the primary message in "Fat Chance At Last!..." is toward weight control, it becomes apparent that weight control falls naturally in place when the body is balanced. The escalating costs of health care and the uncertainty of mixed messages from special reports certainly have created the desire in every individual to responsibly take charge of one's own health with the best "assurance" available. "Fat Chance At Last..." will be a book that one will value and use as a reference book for years to come.

Eileen Silva, a nationally known Metabolic Specialist, has created "Fat Chance At Last!..." a book unique for its ability to successfully incorporate a variety of disciplines for the educational edification of the reader. In very down-to-earth terms Ms. Silva takes the reader by the hand and reveals why individuals may suffer from: a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde personality; obesity and weight gain; afternoon fatigue; gas, bloating, bowel irregularities; headaches, joint or muscle aches; addictive behaviors and premature aging, to name a few.

Just reading the Table of Contents will excite the reader of all the potentialities in the book. From the first chapter (which includes a Body Fitness Profile for personal application) to the last (a summation of HOW YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL) the reader will be amazed at how quickly one becomes fascinated by the explanations of how and why the body may react with certain foods, emotions, parasites, stress and more. Through- out the book there are easy-to-read instructional / informational charts and illustrations. Formulas and protocol for creating and maintaining a healthy, balanced body show how it can be done.

This is a book that could be picked up at any time and read randomly for specific topics. However, it will soon become apparent that one may be missing something important, written in a previous chapter. To save time, start at the beginning. The insights absorbed will become one's own "inner" knowledge. "Fat Chance..." is liberally laced with humor, philosophies and plenty of "aha's". The information gained can be put to use immediately. It's a page-turning, easy read!

The case histories and research in this book add to the book's value for "aware" medical practitioners, as well as the intelligent lay-person and fitness counselor. "Fat Chance At Last!..." is endorsed by a stellar group "Who's Who" of Doctors and Fitness Professionals. Eileen Silva refers to her book as "User Friendly". It is indeed that and more; it is an "essential" book for your library. If you have been in search of a natural, drug-free way to better health, here it is...At Last!: "Fat Chance At Last!..." by Eileen Silva

Fat Chance is an amazingly true, honest, and heart-warming book. Leslea Newman does an awesome job on capturing the emotions and pressures of teenage girls. This book's main character is Judi Leibowitz. Judi has three goals. 1) To decide what she wants to be when she grows up. 2) To get a boyfriend. 3) To loose some weight and become "skinny". Judi thinks that everything is going great when she becomes friends with the prettiest, skinniest, and most popular girl in school, Nancy Pratt. But she soon finds out what Nancy's "secret to success" is. Judi thinks that if Nancy does it, then she should, and she tries it out. So then, Judi becomes more of Nancy's look out, other than her friend. This "secret" gets Nancy and Judi into trouble, in more than one way, and Judi can't decide what to do. This book is very touching and true. I recommend it to anyone and everyone!

This book kept my attention & I kept reading on to find out what would happen next. It makes you realize what some teen girls are going through in their lives right now. Every teen girl should read this story because it teaches you some good lessons.

I read this book at Border's one day, and I liked it at first, but then I realized the book was extremely unrealistic. The soft ending is just stupid because the girl's problems are solved too easily. And how can someone who is bulimic just stop shoving a finger down her throat? I have never experienced eating disorders, but this book doesn't seem like anything that could happen in real life to a real person because it lacks to portray someone who is actually bulimic. That's my opinion.

Fat Chance by Leslea Newman

Life in middle school is already tough enough when you are an unsatisfied American teen like the main character Judy. Although the constant comments made by Tommy Aristo, a mom who won't even let you wear makeup, and growing up being the "fat girl" in the class doesn't make it much easier. So when Mrs. Roth the English teacher assigns the class to write in a journal periodically, Judy comes up with three goals in life that will supposedly solve all her problems: One, decide what she wants to be when she grows up; Two, get a boyfriend (preferably Richard Weiss); And three, lose weight because "Everyone knows guys like skinny girls, the skinnier the better (p. 3)". So with the help of her best friend Monica, Judy decides to do what she thinks will lead to happiness and popularity by becoming skinny. However while battling the numbers on the scale, she also discovers a risky way to stay thin, even if it that means threatening her health.

Leslea Newman did an excellent job by using realistic details and even some educational facts in this contemporary fiction novel. It has the perfect amount of drama, comedy, and even a bit of romance. She makes it easy to relate to because of the real life scenarios and issues almost all teenage girls go through, without sugar coating it or being too graphic like many other dramatic books do. It is a must read if you also liked books such as Are You There God, It's Me Margaret or Just As Long As We're Together by Judy Bloom. Newman and Bloom have a very similar writing style, however Newman usually provides a bit more detail and is more dramatic in her description. This book may take awhile to get into, but once hooked on Judy's personality and exciting turn of events, it is impossible to put down. I found myself intrigued by Newman's interesting style of simple word usage that really makes you think and feel as though you are there going through everything with Judy. Pre-teens and teenage girls everywhere would enjoy this easy read and should be required to read it in the seventh and eighth grades.

This book is about a teenaged girl named Judi who develops bulimia while dealing with her extreme insecurities about her body and herself. Over the course of a few months, Judi realizes that another girl in her school, Nancy, is also sufferring from an eating disorder. After realizing that they have the same problem, Judi begins to emulate Nancy's behavior, and even "cover" for her while she throws up her lunch in the school bathroom.

Although the idea of this novel intrigued me, I didn't find it very original, or very realistic. Any reputable psychologist will tell you that people with eating disorders are almost never able to recover on their own, and have a greater chance of relapsing if they do. However, in Fat Chance, Judi simply stops throwing up after learning the dangers of eating disorders, deciding that losing weight isn't worth it. The problem with this idea, is that people with eating disorders are not generally concerned with the toll that they are taking on their bodies. Instead, they wish to continue the behaviors, and lie consistantly to cover it up.
Therefore, while there are some good aspects to the novel, I think that it presents a rather fluffy and sugarcoated idea of eating disorders. I think that if readers are looking for a more realistic view into the world of eating disorders, they should consider reading memiors like Stick Figure, or a psychotherapist's view, like The Best Little Girl in the World. These books better demonstrate the extreme complexities of eating disorders and their effects on those who suffer from them.

If you're looking for a fun read, it's Fat Chance. This book is written with a wonderful sense of humor and I really enjoyed the heroine's ability to see herself honestly and keep life and losing weight in the proper perspective. If you've never read Terry Campbell, I recommend you start here.

This was a very predictable and easy read. Originally published on the internet, it is easy to see why it was difficult to find a publisher to print hard copies of this book. As quick and easy as it was to read, it seems like it was just as quick and easy to write. It doesn't seem like much time or effort went into plot or character development at all. Its like the authors found the formula on how to write a cheesy romance novel and followed it with no deviations.

The Terry Campbell team has done it again with FAT CHANCE, a fun read and scrumptious way to spend an afternoon. Made me hungry for more just reading about the tasty trials and tribulations of Lindsay the less than lean.

Once again, Campbell has delivered a delightful, thoroughly entertaining story that kept me turning the pages all night. Few authors have the ability to make me laugh out loud. Fat Chance certainly did that, and I look forward to the next Terry Campbell book with great anticipation. Great job!!

This is a great book to take to the beach-the hero and heroine are delicious and sweep you along through the story. Warning-- diet or no, the food descriptions will make you hungry. So stop worrying about your size and enjoy a romp with Lindsey and Hal.

I found the book to be absolutely delightful! The storyline is one that many people, esp. women, can relate to. However, this is not just a "chick" book. I felt the character development was very good, especially considering this is her first published novel. The reading into others actions/reactions is so basic to our human nature. We've all been there and misread them a time or two.
I would hope that readers would continue to follow Ms. Welch's writings. Her third novel, "They're Playing Our Song", is a prime example of the evolution of a writer and her style. Please keep the novels coming, Ms. Welch!

For sassy Maggie O'Leary, life is NOT about being skinny. As a New York City-based newspaper writer who spiritedly advocates acceptance of all body types, her successful column "Fat Chance" is one of her proudest achievements. Maggie's never completely satisfied with her extra weight, but concludes that she cannot and will not fight nature and attempt to meld herself into the kind of super-skinny woman that society deems perfect. But suddenly Maggie's comfortable world of newspaper columns and gourmet lunches with newspaper friends Tamara and Tex changes. Sexy movie star Mike Taylor calls and asks Maggie to visit Los Angeles to assist him with his latest movie about women and weight loss-and really, how can Maggie resist a plea from one of Hollywood's hottest men? Yet moreover, how can Maggie meet him in her current un-svelte state? Thus begins Maggie's wild ride toward self-acceptance, contentment and figuring out the puzzles of weight loss and love.

It's clear from skimming the synopsis of "Fat Chance" that one can expect little more than frothy "chick-lit" type plot lines from this novel. The problem with "Fat Chance" isn't that it fails to be sophisticated literature but that it fails to be a more-than-mediocre "fun" read. "Fat Chance"'s most serious flaw is its hit-and-miss humor. Maggie is a spirited and sometimes melodramatic heroine who lands in numerous situations that should be funny, but the reality isn't so simple. While some of Maggie's musings and situations will produce a giggle or two, others aren't as funny as the author obviously intended and seem to be moments where Blumenthal is striving mightily and awkwardly to make a situation funny where is just ISN'T. Also, sadly enough, Maggie's columns that are included in the text hardly seem excellent enough to be syndicated (as they are said to be in the novel). Many seem trite and overly straight-forward; the worst read like something from a health magazine. And yes, the characters can seem unsatisfyingly one-dimensional and silly (yes, I know this is chick-lit, but still...).

This book is a easy read and Maggie is usually a likeable enough character-readers will probably enjoy the novel's cute, if too rushed, ending. However, this 2.2 star book is about as memorable as a store-bought cookie and readers could do far better in the area of literary consumption.

I thought the back of the book made it sound really interesting as I am a big fan of chick lit and weightloss. (Fave Book: Jemima J by Jane Green) I have to admit that it really took me a while to get into the book. I did enjoy most of the book such as the main characters quick wit and friends but I also found the book TOO PREDICTABLE.

Overall it is more of a book to borrow from the library than actually purchase.

Everything is big - big people, big things, big talk, and big appetite. Maggie has her own column. She doesn't believe in diets and she writes about it. She is not obese, just big. She gives talks, appears on TV, and she enjoys what she does especially the eating part. Each chapter consists of the story about Maggie and a copy of her article. Leading a fast moving life in New York City, she is a confident woman. Until a call from a movie actor, she truly believes that it is liberating to enjoy life being a size sixteen. She receives a consultant proposition and starts thinking about losing weight for the first time in her life. But, she has to keep it a secret. The many mentions of food and drinks in the book are mouthwatering even if the narration is chaotic and not that interesting.

I just did not get this book. She's fat - how fat, I never get a good idea. She's about to meet some famous hottie, so she gets skinny - even though she's been struggling her whole life with weight issues (so we're told) she can suddenly lose it all for some guy? The "hot" affairs have no heat, the angst you're meant to feel isn't there, and the ending is predictable at best. (BORING at the worst).

The author seems to be trying to deal with 3 main issues - weight, food, and celebrities - without knowing a great deal about any. If you really want to read a fat-chick-lit, pick up Jemima J by Jane Green. This book is just a cheap knock-off.

I very rarely ever give up on books, but I could only stick with this one for a little over a hundred pages. I was delighted to read in the other reviews that I wasn't the only one. The premise of the book is actually pretty good, it's just that they way it's written and the pacing is done quite poorly. The mixture of first-person narrative and inserted newspaper columns by the protagonist can be confusing at times. And the biggest relationship in the novel seems to be between Maggie and food...which turned me off. If I wanted to read a menu, I'd pick up an issue of Gourmet, not a chick lit book, thanks. The other thing that bothered me is that Maggie is so gung-ho about weight-acceptance until she wants to impress a man. I'm sure that's the motivating force for a lot of women, but shouldn't she be doing it for herself? I couldn't even begin to like Maggie, let alone side with her. I had a feeling that whole pages had been edited out of the text and perhaps it was in those that the key to what could have been a good novel lied.

This book seems to be a transcript of a college lecture. It skims over it's topics with an unpolished combination of colloquialisms and academicism that left this reader disappointed. Its prose is rough and unprofessional.

It's content is a welcome, clear-eyed double-take on the state of dieters' body images. It asks the important question, Is feeling fat and being fat the same problem? It has ten brief chapters:
1. Taming the female form: putting dieting into perspective
2. Who is dieting?
3. Why do so many women diet?
4. What are dieters doing?
5. The dieting industry
6. Do diets work?
7. Why do diets fail?
8. Men and dieting
9. Why continue to diet?
10. Giving up dieting