9781422288429

eyes sparkle with intelligence, humor, and authenticity. With broad shoul- ders and a muscular build, Morgan looks like an athlete—the kind you might see playing softball or throwing discus at a track meet. She’s not rail thin like a marathoner, nor is she the image of size-one starvation chic like so many of her friends. But she’s not grossly overweight either. She’s a solid, well- proportioned teenager who happens to have a larger frame than her petite peers. Yet, when she looks at herself all she sees is fat: offensive, obscene, disgusting fat. She’s tried every diet she’s heard of: liquid-only plans; food fasts; high- protein diets; low-carb diets; reduced-calorie diets; certain food combina- tions that supposedly increase metabolism and cause better calorie burn; she’s even tried some of the menu plans touted by her favorite celebrities. The result is always the same: quick loss of a few pounds until something makes her angry or sad or jealous or stressed. Then she goes off the plan, starts eating like she used to, and the weight comes back again. After gaining a few pounds, she feels worse about herself than she did when she started dieting: What’s wrong with me? I hate my body. Why can’t I control myself? See, I’m always going to be fat! I don’t deserve to be thin. I’m such a screw-up! It’s hope- less —these thoughts plague her, and then, in her distress, she eats some more. Diets won’t work for this frustrated teen. They probably never will. Why? Because, like many of us, Morgan is an emotional eater. And food is every- where.

Food, Food Everywhere

Think about your food intake. How much of what you eat do you consume strictly for nutritional benefit? How often do you grab a certain snack because you want to replenish the nutrients and vitamins your body has used? If you’re like most people, it’s not very

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