Daniel Keyes "Flowers for Algernon"

I continue to talk about the books I like and those I didn't like, which turned out to be useless.

"The Body, Food, Sex, and Anxiety" is a work by a clinical psychologist from Moscow, published in 2018. The author has extensive experience dealing with eating behavior disorders. In September 2017, at the invitation of the Association of Doctors and Psychologists "Eating Behavior Disorders: Therapy and Prevention," Yulia Lapina came to Kyiv. She conducted a training seminar for us titled "Features of Therapeutic Relationships in the Therapy of Eating Behavior Disorders. Transference, Countertransference. Work Strategies." She was very well-received as a professional and a pleasant, reasonable person.

In the introduction, the author informs that the discussion will focus on the boundaries of anxiety, on women's issues adapted to life in the post-Soviet space. In this chapter, Yulia emphasizes that her task is to help readers "find answers to some questions and provoke dozens of others, as this is how we discover the new." In the subsequent chapters, she talks about the connection between the body and anxiety, about the body as a social elevator, using numerous anonymized real quotes from online resources and women's forums.

Why is it important to read this book? Primarily because it provides a quality analysis of misconceptions about the body and nutrition with a wealth of useful references. Yulia Lapina explains clearly why restrictive eating behavior resonates with people, how it correlates with the system of fasting, religious prohibitions, and sins. Essentially, in today's world, a "sinner" becomes someone who eats after 6 PM and "befriends" sweets.

Who might not like this book? Those who do not share the principle "My body is my business" and conform to trendy standards; those who teach others how to live and how their bodies should look. It will definitely not appeal to readers who hoped to lose weight through psychology.

What can you actually find in the book? An interesting excursion into the history of fashion concerning women's forms, an analysis of the reasons for the rejection of people with excess weight (fatphobia), the essence of double messages, and the placebo effect in the beauty industry. In short, it will provide a different, constructive, and well-reasoned perspective on the anxieties relevant to women, with a summary that choice is always available.

Do I recommend this book to my clients? Absolutely, as it helps them consciously make their choices.