Diary of an Exercise Addict

by Peach Friedman

Book Overview

In 2000, Peach Friedman, a college senior freshly broken up from her boyfriend, set out to beat the blues by beating herself into shape. Running ten miles a day and taking in as little as 800 calories, she fell from 146 pounds to 100 in three months and was at serious risk of cardiac arrest. What Friedman suffered from was exercise bulimia--a newly diagnosed and rapidly spreading eating disorder that affects some 400,000 American women, and which...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0762748966
• ISBN13: 9780762748969
• Release Date: November 2008
• Publisher: Globe Pequot Press
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.7" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Exercise Addict

The topic of exercise addiction is intriguing, and I had hoped this book would educate me on it. While informative, I found the author/protagonist to be rude, judgemental, and impatient with other girls with eating disorders. It was an okay book, but the author's attitude really brought things down. Definitely won't be reading it again.

Honest, self-aware and raw

I was totally absorbed in this book and read it in one sitting. I appreciated the candor of the author and her choice to say all of her thoughts about herself and about other people. We are taken on her journey as she struggles to construct her own definitions of control over food and exercise. What makes this book really profound too is that the author is able to connect eating and exercise to other issues. She discusses finding and losing love, coming from a privileged yet troubled family, and determining her purpose as an adult after college.

Powerful, Gripping Story

Peach writes an incredibly powerful story of her struggle with a nightmarish disorder. Despite the pain and suffering she experiences, the book is a page-turner as Peach opens up her life and shares intimate details. I read the entire book in one evening well into the night - I could not put it down. It's very well written and sheds light on a lesser-known eating disorder, though anyone who struggles with disordered eating can relate to much of what Peach goes through. This book offers hope to anyone afflicted by Peach's eventual recovery, but the level of personal detail Peach exposes also might offer comfort by knowing other people share the same obsessive thoughts and disruptive behaviors. I would highly recommend this book to anyone suffering, anyone who knows someone who is suffering, or even just to anyone who might be interested in the life of a young American woman.

Insightful, honest, beautiful

Peach Friedman tells her inspiring story in a realistic way while avoiding the mistakes that so many others make when recounting the story of their eating disorder. She is not at all self-pitying and does nothing to glorify her eating disorder or tout her "accomplishments." I appreciate this. I appreciate this because in the past this sort of subtle (and often unintentional) tone used by authors of other books about eating disorder recovery has triggered my own unhealthy behaviors. Peach relates the development of her eating disorder, from anorexia to exercise bulimia, and her recovery from it without trying to hide the enormous physical, mental and emotional pain that she had to push through, yet she never loses a sense of hope. This book is inspiring for those also recovering from eating disorders of any form, for men or for women, and for any age. It is also a must-read for family and friends of sufferers because Peach, with the knowledge she now has in hindsight, having gone back to the "other side," is so clearly able to explain her experience from an outsider's perspective that is honest and sympathetic but that isn't scary. So often family and friends are scared and desperate to help without knowing how to approach the subject. Her appreciation for her own friends and family, especially for her mother and dietician, illustrates a great example for others who want to support someone in recovery. I applaud her in her mission to bring attention to exercise bulimia and the dangers associated with it. It can be hard to define and recognize and because exercise is so glorified in our culture, it is especially hard to recover from. It is a legitimate disorder that needs to be taken more seriously. We need to remove this culture of thinking that less food and more exercise is always good. Peach sets a new definition for what 'fitness' really is. In some ways I'll admit I was disappointed when I finished the book. First of all, I think I was looking for answers. While I didn't expect it to be a self-help book, I might have subconsciously been hoping to be able to put the book down and immediately leap forward into recovery without ever looking back because of some new fact or story I might have learned. This is not the case, and Peach is clear: recovery is about taking one step forward, two steps back, but getting there in the end. And that's okay. She reminds us that it's okay -- and, in fact, necessary -- to go at one's own pace (with gentle, and okay, sometimes not-so-gentle nudging from family and friends). The second reason I was disappointed when I reached the last page is because Peach's story is so clearly not over yet. Yes, she's fully recovered, but she will have so much more to offer. As she continues to grow herself, and as she trains her clients and speaks out about eating disorders, she will have so much more to say. I can't wait for more of her beautiful writing!

Extraordinary memoir

Peach Friedman writes about an incredibly difficult and personal experience with such raw honesty. Her memoir is so gripping that once you begin, you can't put it down. It's a literary page turner. You feel the pain of her darkest hours and the triumph of her eventual recovery. She is an inspiration and a beautiful writer, and I hope that she's able to raise awareness about this growing eating disorder.

Candid, courageous and compelling

It is very rare to read such an up close and personal account of a young woman's struggle with this newly defined disease. Many women don't even realize that they are on the edge of becoming an exercise addict (or have been one for many years). Friedman's writing style is honest and inviting - you feel like you're talking to a friend over tea and she's telling you what she went through - her relationships, her breakups, her education, her family - all which are part of her story, part of her downfall and ultimately a huge part of her recovery. I hope this story reaches the many women (and men) who suffer from eating disorders. The way Friedman depicts her struggle and her journey to recovery is so accessible and realistic. It is a hard book to put down. I especially love the contrast of her picture on the cover (her bony back in black and white) vs. her picture on the inside back panel (a healthy bright smile in full color). She really did come back to life. Her inspiring story needs to be told to help those suffering with this illness to see the other side.