For my first SSR book, I started reading The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things. I am currently on page 80 out of 246 pages of the entire book. This book is about a 15 year old girl named Virginia Shreves who is a little over weight for her age. No teenage girl wants to be considered overweight but what makes it harder for Virginia is that she comes from a "perfect" looking family. Her mother is a gym junkie and is constantly working out and eating healthy. Her older brother Byron is popular and very attractive and she also has a very attractive and slim older sister named Anais. She likes this boy named Froggy who comes over every Monday and all they do is make out in her room when no one is home. However, outside of her room, they do not communicate nor are they ever seen with each other in public. Virginia has learned to accept this because she thinks just as badly about herself as she thinks everyone else does as well. For the beginning part of this book, Virginia explains what it's like being an over weight 15 year old at a school full of perfect skinny girls who think they are better than everyone else. Virginia's best friend Shannon has recently moved away and now Virginia is left to bear the terrible days of high school all by herself. She eats by herself in the bathroom and one day while she was in there, she heard Brie, Briar, and Brinna, the three most popular and perfect girls in her school, talking. They started to talk about Virginia's older brother and how Brie was flirting with him on the train over the weekend. The thought of this made Virginia sick but what they said next made her feel like her stomach was gonna fall out. They mentioned her name and referred to her as the "chubby girl" but that's not even the worst part. After a moment Brie says "All I can say is, if I were that fat, I'd kill myself."
This made Virginia feel the lowest she has ever felt. On top of that, her parents start pressuring her about her weight and wanting her to go on a diet. Her mom takes her to a new doctor and even though she is heavier for her age, all of her tests come back that she is perfectly healthy. Even though she is healthy, the doctor still recommends that she go on a diet. This diet basically turns into Virginia starving herself and restraining from eating any type of real food.
Do you think that starving herself is the best way for Virginia to lose weight and be more happy with herself and her body? Do you think Virginia's mom should be more worried about her daughter's health rather than looking perfect like the rest of the family? Why or why not?
No I don't, I feel that would make her very unhealthy and cause her to be very depressed. I feel that Virginia should feel comfortable in her own skin and not worry about what other people have to say, and that is what will make her happy. I also feel that her mother should worry about her health instead because a mother should worry about what's best for her kid and not herself.
ReplyDeleteStarving yourself Is never a good way to lose weight. Starving yourself leads to negative outcomes like dizziness, anxiety, and even depression. Virginia's mom should definitely be concerned about her daughter's health and not want her to suffer like that. As her mother, she should teach her to love herself and not force her habits on Virginia because makes her feel worse about herself.
ReplyDeleteVirginia should not starve herself. I think when she is ready, she should eat a little better a bit at a time. She shouldn't rush it and until it becomes a health issue, I feel she shouldn't have to do anything about it until she is comfortable.
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