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Good Eater: The True Story of One Man's Struggle With Binge Eating Disorder
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List Price:
$24.95
Fitness-Health-Care Price:
$16.47
Your Savings: $ 8.48 ( 34% )
Subject To Change Without Notice
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: New Harbinger Publications
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Average Customer Rating: 
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 362.19685260092
EAN: 9781572244856
ISBN: 1572244852
Label: New Harbinger Publications
Manufacturer: New Harbinger Publications
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 252
Publication Date: 2007-03
Publisher: New Harbinger Publications
Studio: New Harbinger Publications
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Editorial Reviews:
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At the age of twenty-one, stylish and striking Ron Saxen turned heads on the street. A promising model with a tony California agency, his lithe and muscular body graced the pages of magazines and even the cover of a fitness book. He was headed for a future of bright lights and brighter possibilities--but a dark turn of events would leave Saxen working for minimum wage in a coffee shop and dodging his agent less than a year later. Binge eating disorder, a malady that strikes some 2.5 million Americans--40 percent of whom are men--led Saxen to gain nearly one hundred pounds, destroying his modeling career and threatening his health and sanity. This compelling memoir tells Saxen's story as he plunges into binge eating, dangerous starvation diets, drug use, and a rollercoaster ride of odd careers, destructive relationships, and personal tragedies--all set against a fabulous backdrop that ranges from the streets of Sacramento to the fundamentalist enclaves of the Great Plains. A gripping page turner from start to finish, this amazing personal memoir will help break stereotypes and shed new light on this common disorder.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating: 
Summary: Well written, compelling, describes the problem but not the solution.
Comment: When I heard about this book, I couldn't wait to get a copy and read through it. As someone who has struggled with binge eating disorder for quite some time, and only recently was able to put a name to the problem, I've been discouraged by the lack of books written for men who deal with this issue. Most of the books I've read so far are written by women, for women.
Saxon's story is remarkably like mine (except no one has ever asked me to be a fashion model), and I read through the book eagerly, enjoying the story and looking forward to when he would begin to describe how he overcame the problem. Only ... as I neared the end of the book, I realized I only had a handful of pages left to read, and the problem hadn't yet been resolved. His description of his recovery takes only three or so pages out of the entire book. For Ron, health came when he got into a happy marriage, found a great job, got control of his finances and when he abandoned "extreme dieting and forbidden foods."
So, the story is good, and I'm glad he's found a resolution to his problem, but I couldn't help but feel disappointed by the lack of more specific advice. In short: this book describes the problem well, but doesn't explain how to overcome the issue.
That's okay. It's good for me to know that someone with this problem overcame it. Everyone finds his own way to mental health. I'm writing this review so that other men in my position -- men looking for specific advice -- can read the book without the wrong expectations.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Binge Eating Isn't Just For Women
Comment: Too often we read and hear of women with eating disorders. This book was very enlightening. I think it took a lot of courage for Ron Saxen to write this book and disclose so much of his life -- the good as well as the bad. Thank you, Ron, for taking the time to write. I hope many women and men that deal with the same issues will find answers, hope and help for themselves reading this book.
Customer Rating:
Summary: BRUTALLY HONEST STORY OF ONE MAN'S STRUGGLE
Comment: When I read a blurb in NEWSWEEK a few months ago about Binge Eating Disorder and Ron Saxen's book, I was quick to pre-order the book. Binge Eating Disorder (BED)is becoming more and more common, yet, very few books address this problem. I expected THE GOOD EATER to be the salvation that held all the keys to unlock the mysteries of BED. THE GOOD EATER was a very different book than I expected. It is really the story of Ron Saxen's life and struggles and his use of food for comfort. A very difficult childhood left him emotionally vacant and lacking in self-confidence. He turned to food and gained and lost weight for years. At one point, he lost enough weight to be signed with a modeling agency and the chance for a promising career. Despite the successful start to his career, he was still overweight and unattractive in his mind. For an emotional eater, handling success can be harder than handling failure. Ron turned to food and gained weight and left his modeling career behind him. For the next 20 years he struggles with various careers, including as a stand up comedian. He even briefly joins the Marines. In a search for love and acceptance, he enters into an unhappy marriage. 20 years after his modeling career, he finds the strength and the love to turn his life around and have a proper relationship with food. The book really is not self-help in nature but the brutally honest story of one man's struggle with food. Ron tells it like it is and rarely is the story pretty. There is hope in his dedication and determination. It's hard to let go of the past and our childhoods can haunt us forever. Only in the last few pages is the issue of binge eating addressed. If you suffer from binge eating disorder, THE GOOD EATER isn't your salvation but there is comfort in knowing you are not alone. It's easy to relate to Ron's downward slide into uncontrollable binge eating. Food was his best friend and gave him temporary relief from the emotional pain of life. His journey is heartbreaking but there is hope around the corner for all of us.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Good Eater
Comment: Ron Saxen's The Good Eater is one of the first, if not first, books written about binge eating from the perspective of a male. When reading the book I could vividly see the events playing out and the impact on Ron and his family.
Ron's work has inspired me to move forward in my own personal journey to confront binge eating and the emotions that drive me to binge. That alone should be the true test of the book and in my opinion it passes with an A+.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Interesting
Comment: This book is about a man who grows up in a dysfuntional home and tries to make something of himself by going after all the wrong things. Number one being food and then girls, sex, jobs and even marriage. In the end though he realizes that the only thing that makes him well is realizing he will never be perfect and learning to accept himself with his flaws. I found the book very interesting. The only reason I gave it a 4 is becuase of the constant swearing. Ok, I am not a prude and I understand that at times swearing can get across the point of pain. But, the F word was used constantly and I got tired of it in the end.
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