Best Eating Disorder Books

Stories or manuals that offer insight and understanding
290

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3.23 avg rating — 115 ratings
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290

by
4.15 avg rating — 3,943 ratings
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290

by
4.67 avg rating — 15 ratings
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290

by
4.23 avg rating — 188 ratings
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290

by
4.21 avg rating — 75 ratings
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290

by
4.08 avg rating — 531 ratings
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290

by
3.68 avg rating — 11,081 ratings
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290

by
4.32 avg rating — 56 ratings
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290

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3.75 avg rating — 1,216,744 ratings
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290

by
3.86 avg rating — 5,477 ratings
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290

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3.55 avg rating — 19,574 ratings
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290

by
3.79 avg rating — 1,390 ratings
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313

by
3.50 avg rating — 88 ratings
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313

by
3.37 avg rating — 199 ratings
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313

by
4.60 avg rating — 5 ratings
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313

by
4.19 avg rating — 21 ratings
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313

by
4.05 avg rating — 21 ratings
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313

by
3.23 avg rating — 26 ratings
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313

by
3.70 avg rating — 292 ratings
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313

by
4.04 avg rating — 495 ratings
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313

by
3.86 avg rating — 128 ratings
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313

by
3.68 avg rating — 842 ratings
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313

by
4.40 avg rating — 16,980 ratings
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313

by
4.30 avg rating — 50 ratings
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313

by
4.12 avg rating — 1,429 ratings
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326

by
3.71 avg rating — 14 ratings
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326

by
liked it 3.00 avg rating — 3 ratings
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326

by
3.71 avg rating — 90 ratings
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326

by
3.58 avg rating — 81 ratings
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326

by
4.12 avg rating — 1,858 ratings
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326

by
4.01 avg rating — 600 ratings
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326

by
3.97 avg rating — 726 ratings
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326

by
4.20 avg rating — 535 ratings
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326

by
4.11 avg rating — 1,870 ratings
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326

by
4.31 avg rating — 48 ratings
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326

by
3.88 avg rating — 20,389 ratings
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337

by
3.82 avg rating — 3,747 ratings
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337

by
3.86 avg rating — 1,301 ratings
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337

by
2.57 avg rating — 7 ratings
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337

by
4.28 avg rating — 53 ratings
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341

by
3.59 avg rating — 111 ratings
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341

by
3.29 avg rating — 166 ratings
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341

by
4.01 avg rating — 1,979 ratings
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344

by
4.01 avg rating — 136,722 ratings
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344

by
4.75 avg rating — 8 ratings
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344

by
4.35 avg rating — 51 ratings
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347

by
3.23 avg rating — 162 ratings
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347

by
3.45 avg rating — 186 ratings
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347

by
3.34 avg rating — 146 ratings
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347

by
4.27 avg rating — 56 ratings
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351

by
3.88 avg rating — 42 ratings
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351

by
3.41 avg rating — 56 ratings
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351

by
4.28 avg rating — 46 ratings
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354

by
3.33 avg rating — 231 ratings
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354

by
4.88 avg rating — 8 ratings
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354

by
4.67 avg rating — 3 ratings
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357

by
3.61 avg rating — 46 ratings
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357

by
4.24 avg rating — 129 ratings
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357

by
4.42 avg rating — 60 ratings
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360

by
it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating
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360

by
3.74 avg rating — 39 ratings
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360

by
4.33 avg rating — 49 ratings
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363

by
3.30 avg rating — 33 ratings
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363

by
4.34 avg rating — 53 ratings
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363

by
3.43 avg rating — 7 ratings
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366

by
3.99 avg rating — 764 ratings
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366

by
4.33 avg rating — 55 ratings
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366

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 89 ratings
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369

by
3.54 avg rating — 13 ratings
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369

by
4.33 avg rating — 52 ratings
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371

by
4.21 avg rating — 43 ratings
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371

by
4.30 avg rating — 50 ratings
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373

by
3.60 avg rating — 5 ratings
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373

by
2.50 avg rating — 4 ratings
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373

by
2.95 avg rating — 385 ratings
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373

by
4.35 avg rating — 55 ratings
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377

by
4.38 avg rating — 53 ratings
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378

by
4.44 avg rating — 9 ratings
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378

by
4.32 avg rating — 53 ratings
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380

by
4.09 avg rating — 642 ratings
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380

by
4.41 avg rating — 59 ratings
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382

by
3.20 avg rating — 109 ratings
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382

by
3.92 avg rating — 84 ratings
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382

by
3.82 avg rating — 87 ratings
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382

by
4.28 avg rating — 54 ratings
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386

by
3.77 avg rating — 99 ratings
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386

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 24 ratings
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386

by
4.42 avg rating — 85 ratings
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389

by
4.20 avg rating — 26,358 ratings
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390

by
3.96 avg rating — 7,405 ratings
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391

by
4.25 avg rating — 64 ratings
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392

by
4.09 avg rating — 21,212 ratings
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393

by
3.59 avg rating — 39 ratings
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394

by
4.07 avg rating — 226 ratings
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395

by
liked it 3.00 avg rating — 4 ratings
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396

by
2.86 avg rating — 7 ratings
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397

by
4.29 avg rating — 237,895 ratings
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398

by
3.65 avg rating — 34 ratings
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398

by
4.25 avg rating — 216,759 ratings
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400

by
2.98 avg rating — 46 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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