Life Inside the "Thin" Cage: A Personal Look into the Hidden World of the Chronic Dieter

I happened upon this book by 'chance' (in other words, the hand of God, in my opinion) and when I read the back, a tear trickled down my face. Having been overweight much of my life and now being a chronic dieter, I could resonate with Constance's words - I think those thoughts she expressed. I don't fit the DSM-IV diagnoses for bulimia or anorexia. I'm 'different'. She is so right - there is a constant battle going on in my mind regarding weight, eating, and exercising. I am addicted to food AND exercising. It governs my every waking thought and even governs my day and how I spend my time. It's insane, I know. Finding balance is something I am working on. The sad thing? Losing weight DEFINITELY changed my life (I lost 70 lbs) and people DO treat you differently (I've never been treated better than I have in the the years since I lost weight). So, it's hard not to be addicted to dieting when the results are so positive. But are they healthy? That is something I am working out. Thank you, Constance, for speaking what I feel!!!!

Constance digs deep in her work...which affects nearly everyone at some point in their life (if we were to be honest). From the anorexic to the severely [overweight]...wishing our bodies were something else is the norm and our world can often revolve around it. This book is a great book of encouragement and sound advice from a clinical standpoint. I'd highly recommend it to anyone!

Although estimates vary across studies, eating disorders are disturbingly common. Even more common than Anorexia and Bulimia, however, are a spectrum of problems which fail to reach certain diagnostic thresholds called Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS). These disorders are rarely diagnosed and, consequently, are very infrequently treated. To the millions of people who suffer from so-called sub-clinical eating disorders, however, their impact is very significant.In her work, Life Inside the "Thin" Cage, Constance Rhodes writes with transparency and disarming honesty about her own long struggle with EDNOS and bolsters her message with contemporary examples and insights derived from recent research. As a clinical psychologist, I find her tale to be familiar (and ultimately heartening) - the story of a driven, achievement-oriented, young woman on a quest for perfection who equates her value with the way she looks. Through a variety of events, she comes to the realization that she has a problem and ultimately succeeds in altering her orientation toward life (and toward food). In the process, she becomes increasingly balanced, healthy, and whole. She gently suggests that the transformation she has experienced is available to others and offers what I believe is a very helpful framework for a journey toward health. Importantly, she does not make unrealistic promises and (in contrast to many self-help books) does not offer a "quick-fix" but rather conveys the message that change is often a slow process, and a painful one at that.I am an enthusiastic fan of Life Inside the "Thin" Cage and believe it raises awareness of a very significant problem while also offering words of hope and healing. It is a very important resource that deserves to be read widely and that can serve as a reliable guide for individuals interested in engaging in meaningful change and in finding freedom from unhealthy relationships both with food and with their own bodies.

What a marvelous resource - while I am a male reader I needed to understand women my sons will date, women in our family trapped in this cage like my niece, my sister, my cousin. Powerful and honest. Thank YOU Constance for this excellent title.

for those of you wondering if we need another book which explores the world of dieting, weight-issues, and body image, let me offer this as a preface to my review: yes. and _life inside the thin cage_ is that book.constance rhodes has put together a coherent, thoughtful pilgrimage into the inner sanctum of universal disordered thought and behavior. she brings to light questions that many of us are not brave enough to ask on our own; questions that reach past the removed, clinical approach to various eating disorders, and bring us into the deeper issues of authentic and holistic self-care. _thin cage_ is a balance between rhodes' own history (she is never self-flattering, but very real about the messy road to healing), and well-researched exploration of the current cultural climate as it relates to sub-clinical eating disorders.interspersed are fantastic, helpful quotes, ranging from shakepeare to "cindy, forty-seven-year-old wife and mother". this book is easy to read: it is clearly outlined; its format is conducive to workshop use, as well as personal use. overall, my experience of _life inside the thin cage_ was one of exhale: i am not anorexic. i am not bulimic. however, i know that i do not treat my body well, and i have never thought that anyone could put into words my own private battles. this book has given me a vocabulary for my disordered behavior and thought, but moreso a vocabulary of the possibility of wholeness.i would recommend this book to anyone, male or female, who has ever wanted to honestly consider the effects of such constant voices as pop culture, media, and family on their thought processes, self-perception, and behavior.