Dear Friends,
I have begun writing a nonfiction book about being fat in America. I am hoping to include the experiences of many people -- in addition to my own -- and am looking for people who have spent any part of their lives as moderately to significantly overweight. I will ask them to respond via email to eight essay questions; they can choose whether or not to be identified by name in the book.
The book will cover the broad range of experiences that a fat person has in daily life -- from fitting into a world not designed for their bodies to dealing with frequently insensitive or untrained medical personnel to dating and relationships. It will also attempt to answer the question of why a group of people who represent the majority of Americans are so often portrayed negatively in the media, in society and in the nation's medical clinics and hospitals. At a time when obesity is about to be classified as a disease by the federal government, I will also examine why so many overweight people continue to feel shame and despair about their weight.
So...will you please pass this email along to anyone who might be remotely interested in participating? I am hoping for a fairly representative cross-section of people from across the country and need help in finding them.
Anyone who is interested can email me at
[email protected] to get a copy of the questionnaire emailed to them. Thanks so much for your help, and
I'll let you know how the book is progressing in the coming year.
Happy and Healthy 2004 to us all!
Tamar Abrams
Arlington, VA
Participate in a book
