Best Eating Disorder Books

Stories or manuals that offer insight and understanding
101

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4.29 avg rating — 878 ratings
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102

by
3.22 avg rating — 237 ratings
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103

by
3.81 avg rating — 129 ratings
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104

by
3.89 avg rating — 18 ratings
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105

by
3.91 avg rating — 958,828 ratings
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106

by
3.61 avg rating — 93 ratings
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107

by
3.49 avg rating — 2,377 ratings
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108

by
4.03 avg rating — 22,434 ratings
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108

by
3.90 avg rating — 115 ratings
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108

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 22 ratings
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108

by
4.17 avg rating — 119,461 ratings
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112

by
3.73 avg rating — 31,294 ratings
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112

by
3.98 avg rating — 1,507 ratings
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114

by
3.88 avg rating — 207 ratings
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114

by
4.05 avg rating — 249 ratings
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116

by
3.65 avg rating — 97 ratings
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116

by
3.95 avg rating — 1,736 ratings
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118

by
3.88 avg rating — 192 ratings
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119

by
3.85 avg rating — 1,400 ratings
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120

by
3.77 avg rating — 574 ratings
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121

by
3.59 avg rating — 2,419 ratings
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122

by
3.74 avg rating — 4,993 ratings
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123

by
3.60 avg rating — 617 ratings
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124

by
3.45 avg rating — 86 ratings
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125

by
3.59 avg rating — 383 ratings
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126

by
3.33 avg rating — 54 ratings
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127

by
3.86 avg rating — 293 ratings
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128

by
3.51 avg rating — 73 ratings
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129

by
3.30 avg rating — 186 ratings
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130

by
3.09 avg rating — 76 ratings
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131

by
3.16 avg rating — 68 ratings
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132

by
3.55 avg rating — 84 ratings
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132

by
3.30 avg rating — 1,151 ratings
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132

by
3.54 avg rating — 6,256 ratings
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135

by
4.80 avg rating — 5 ratings
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136

by
3.18 avg rating — 604 ratings
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137

by
3.82 avg rating — 130 ratings
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138

by
3.51 avg rating — 302 ratings
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138

by
3.98 avg rating — 94 ratings
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140

by
3.61 avg rating — 23 ratings
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141

by
3.70 avg rating — 267 ratings
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142

by
3.50 avg rating — 12 ratings
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143

by
3.93 avg rating — 28 ratings
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143

by
3.27 avg rating — 719 ratings
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143

by
4.78 avg rating — 9 ratings
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143

by
4.16 avg rating — 733 ratings
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147

by
3.70 avg rating — 4,499 ratings
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148

by
3.22 avg rating — 396 ratings
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148

by
3.66 avg rating — 381 ratings
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150

by
3.40 avg rating — 859 ratings
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150

by
3.46 avg rating — 13 ratings
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150

by
4.23 avg rating — 99 ratings
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153

by
3.57 avg rating — 791 ratings
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153

by
3.60 avg rating — 256 ratings
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153

by
3.64 avg rating — 996 ratings
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156

by
3.50 avg rating — 36 ratings
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157

by
3.44 avg rating — 847 ratings
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158

by
3.85 avg rating — 13 ratings
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158

by
3.70 avg rating — 43 ratings
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160

by
4.38 avg rating — 1,341,376 ratings
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161

by
4.32 avg rating — 11,367 ratings
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162

by
4.26 avg rating — 34 ratings
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163

by
3.89 avg rating — 91 ratings
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163

by
3.66 avg rating — 92 ratings
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163

by
4.18 avg rating — 6,610 ratings
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163

by
3.54 avg rating — 13 ratings
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163

by
3.80 avg rating — 1,635 ratings
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168

by
3.11 avg rating — 9 ratings
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169

by
3.56 avg rating — 143 ratings
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170

by
3.37 avg rating — 294 ratings
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170

by
3.90 avg rating — 10 ratings
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172

by
3.77 avg rating — 157 ratings
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173

by
3.97 avg rating — 3,022 ratings
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174

by
3.57 avg rating — 159 ratings
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174

by
3.58 avg rating — 1,323 ratings
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176

by
4.20 avg rating — 833 ratings
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177

by
3.50 avg rating — 269 ratings
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177

by
3.28 avg rating — 47 ratings
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179

by
4.20 avg rating — 55 ratings
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180

by
3.67 avg rating — 64 ratings
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181

by
3.79 avg rating — 75 ratings
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182

by
4.31 avg rating — 80 ratings
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183

by
3.83 avg rating — 90 ratings
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184

by
3.25 avg rating — 832 ratings
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185

by
3.87 avg rating — 82 ratings
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186

by
3.70 avg rating — 60 ratings
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187

by
3.44 avg rating — 616 ratings
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188

by
4.17 avg rating — 18 ratings
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189

by
3.69 avg rating — 35 ratings
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189

by
3.47 avg rating — 17 ratings
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191

by
4.83 avg rating — 23 ratings
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192

by
3.60 avg rating — 57 ratings
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192

by
4.60 avg rating — 10 ratings
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194

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 9 ratings
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195

by
3.32 avg rating — 398 ratings
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196

by
2.92 avg rating — 155 ratings
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197

by
3.73 avg rating — 468 ratings
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198

by
3.59 avg rating — 29 ratings
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198

by
3.82 avg rating — 236 ratings
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200

by
3.60 avg rating — 222 ratings
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267 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Lisa 623 books
85 friends
Rachel 16 books
35 friends
Asli 285 books
23 friends
Gwen 396 books
65 friends
Mary 690 books
54 friends
Lee 784 books
63 friends
Tania 177 books
0 friends
Melissa 440 books
9 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-20 of 20 (20 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

message 2: by Mary (new)

Mary I cannot believe this book isn't on the list. It's completely brilliant, and anyone interested in body disorders in Western culture should start with Bordo.


message 3: by Sirja (new)

Sirja Ellen Wasted, always and forever <3


message 4: by Ruthy (new)

Ruthy I've got to agree with Mary, Unbearable Weight by Susan Bordo really should be on this list


message 5: by Bettie (new)

Bettie (You can)add it! Click ADD BOOKS TO THIS LIST, then click the search box and enter the title.


message 6: by Morgan (new)

Morgan Vank <3 this list


message 7: by Truth816 (new)

Truth816 <3


message 8: by Jessa (new)

Jessa Just wanted to suggest that if you are recovering/have recovered/are trying to recover from an ED, you should check out my new book group on here:

Eating Disorder Recovery Reading Buddies
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/5...


message 9: by Bettie (new)

Bettie

SPAM ALERT!


message 10: by Jessa (last edited Oct 31, 2011 04:00PM) (new)

Jessa Sorry I didn't think it was spam to tell people rating a thread about eating disorders on Goodreads that there is now a group here ON GOODREADS where people can talk about eating disorder recovery and read eating disorder recovery books together, such as many of the books on this list...doesn't seem like spam to me at all. If I were posting to some external link or something, then I would totally agree.

I was really just trying to let people know it was there and reach out so that they could join and we could all help each other with this ED journey :( while enjoying good stories about it and helping each other know which books are triggering, etc. If you think that is spam, I am sorry. That is unfortunate.


message 11: by Heather (new)

Heather Faye I must admit to being sad that Wasted is number 1. For me, it did much more damage than good, triggering me and giving me more tips and strategies than it did aid my recovery. I hope that I am alone in this fact but I fear that it leads to more relapse than it leads to recovery. I actually found a book called Going Hungry to be very helpful.


message 12: by Andrea (new)

Andrea Adler PUSHING UPWARD, by Andrea Adler is another wonderful book, about to become a film, on eating disorders.


message 13: by Jenny (new)

Jenny Mary wrote: "Unbearable Weight: Feminism, Western Culture, and the Body, Tenth Anniversary Edition"

I read excerpts from this book for my literary criticism class and ended up writing two papers based around its ideas. I love this.


message 14: by Jen (new)

Jen The 8 Keys to Recovering From an Eating Disorder by Carolyn Costin. Costin delivers an honest, realistic, authentic approach to finding your way out of an ED and finding yourSELF.


message 15: by Jen (new)

Jen Sirja wrote: "Wasted, always and forever <3"
I read Wasted several times while in my raging eating disorder. I swear this book taught me how to be a better anorexic. This book is great if you want to be sick. I appreciate her honesty but, at time, it is too honest. I saw her speak at Harvard last Fall, which helped me come to terms with Wasted and Marya. She said that when she wrote Wasted, she was very sick and did not mean for it to be a guide for killing yourself. I wouldn't read this again.


message 16: by Laura (new)

Laura Shields Heather wrote: "I must admit to being sad that Wasted is number 1. For me, it did much more damage than good, triggering me and giving me more tips and strategies than it did aid my recovery. I hope that I am alon..."

See I feel the problem with people reactions to this book is that itwas in no way supposed to aid in anyones recovery, it was simply an account of the authors personal thoughts and experiences, which can be very intense and triggering. I loved the book, it really put into words some of my own personal experiences, and it was nice to see someone else had thought like me at one point as well, if that makes sense. Yes, it was triggering, but so has been most ED books for me, especially winter girls, but if triggering is a problem, its best to stick to self help books strictly. For me it was nice to find a book that wasn't 50% BS, or some 'cute' little story about a teenager who doesnt eat for a week and miraculously gets better after she faints and goes to the hospital for a month, or a book that lies about the experience and skips all the horrible parts. Its the first ED book I've read thats been raw and honest and real about the hell that is an eating disorder. I personally think books like this are very important.


message 17: by Valerie (last edited Dec 07, 2017 12:34PM) (new)

Valerie Foster A warrior-mother's perspective? Read this story! Dancing with a Demon
https://www.amazon.com/Dancing-Demon-...


message 18: by Romy (new)

Romy I have removed Before I fall by Lauren Oliver for not meeting the criteria. It's an amazing book but not one that focuses on eating disorders.
Please stick to the theme when adding books.


message 19: by Allie (new)

Allie Hey y'all,

I just started a new book club called "Damage" under groups that you can join if you'd like! It focuses on reading a book every other month that is about physical, mental, emotional, or intellectual differences. (And yes, I redefine how "damage" should be viewed in the group description!) Hope you join!


message 20: by [deleted user] (new)


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