Diary of an Exercise Addict - Peach Friedman

Wow, I read this book in two days, around quite a busy schedule. It drew me in, made me laugh, made me cry and made me think.
Exercise Bulimia is a touchy subject, and in my opinion, is often overlooked or misdiagnosed.
Friedman provides a refreshingly honest explanation of her descent into the illness that consequently left me feeling lucky and strong. Her life experiences were nothing out of the ordinary for a young woman other than she had a mother who was so conscious of her body. However, I feel that this is a rising phenomena in todays society with image becoming increasingly important.
After reading “The Diary of an Exercise Addict” I knew that I had learned something valuable. Eating disorders are very secretive illnesses and to see them humanised makes the mindset more understandable whilst remaining undesirable. I found that by the end of the book most of my questions had been answered, such as, how she really felt when she realised her position? Did she feel responsible for the state of her family? Although I do wonder how a person without her resources would be able to cope and survive. However, this is a book about one persons experience, she cannot be held responsible for her history and has kindly laid it bare for us to peruse.
The book has made me consider my own attitudes towards exercise, I am aware that when I trained in the gym I had a tendency towards the fanatical, I used it to express my anger and frustrations and when you see the results it makes it feel worthwhile, a personal triumph but what “Diary of an Exercise Addict” made me realise is that there is a fine line between healthy change and obsession and it is essential to maintain that balance.
The way the book has been written made it easier to piece together the timeline which, when considering the enormity of the subject matter is essential for the inexperienced to understand. The structure and chapter divisions answer the question that is rarely asked in the honest way - How does this happen? Not the whys and wherefores about it and not the physicality of the illness (this is answered by the content) but how long it took. It is important to remember that each case is different but as an example, the structure explains it magnificently.
Finally I need to consider why I read it? And the answer is simple, I found it interesting. It was not gory, it did not romanticise the illness, it was a factual explanation of a personal journey and I was compelled to travel alongside.
I would recommend this book mainly to women, anyone who has looked in the mirror, felt disgusted and thought “now is the time for that diet”. But I also feel it would be appropriate for those who deny having ever felt like that, (If they really exist) because it would serve them well to understand how extreme insecurities can manifest.
Workaholics would also benefit from this book simply because the ultimate line is about maintaining that life balance. It may sound like an obscure group of people and they are most certainly the people who would not have time to read this blog let alone read a book for fun but, there is a value to this book one that reminds the reader that inner strength is paramount.
www.diaryofanexerciseaddict.com