NetGalley Review: Perfectly Imperfect by Amy Harman, LMFT, CEDS

 I confess to going into this book with some apprehension.  Body positivity, a movement started by the Fat Acceptance community, has so often been hijacked and weaponized into the same old diet rhetoric that I am always waiting for the moment when therapeutic strategies still become medical fatphobia.  This book does not do that!  It is a genuinely helpful text that embraces Health at Every Size (HAES), fat acceptance and body neutrality.

The examples of what constitutes body negativity, body positivity and body neutrality were eye-opening and helpful.  Even as someone steeped in fat acceptance, I found many subtle ways in which I am letting the fatphobia creep in, and identifying them was extremely helpful.  The in depth discussion of body neutrality (as opposed to the relentless construction of self love often foisted on fat people by the same industries that aim to capitalize on our self-hate) was very refreshing and helped me gain a new understanding of how to treat my body and my body image.  The “exercises” were thoughtful and not overwhelming, it is clear that Harman is offering strategies from a place of genuine compassion and understanding.

This is an amazing read that quickly and concisely serves as primer for starting a good relationship with your body, your eating and your choices about movement.