Despite the success of The Optimistic Food Addict: Recovering from Binge Eating Disorder, I feel like there remains a vast audience of people who still do not understand the complexities of living with food addiction. This audience includes family, friends, medical professionals, and yes, even food addicts, who may not have come to terms with the way the disease manifests itself in their own lives.
Beyond that, binge eaters are marginalized in our society. Most people, including medical professionals, think that our disease is simply a moral failing or a lack of self control. In reality, it is a serious mental health disorder that needs treatment before it eventually kills us.
Given that I have two main skills, writing and public speaking, I am constantly trying to think of ways to educate the public about food addiction and binge eating disorder. My biggest goal, though, is to help people suffering from this wretched illness find support and hope.
To that end, I have added fiction as my next endeavor. I have started a novel in which the main character is a woman who struggles with Binge Eating Disorder. By bringing her alive on the page, I hope to take some of the stigma away from BED and those who suffer from it. I also hope to paint a portrait of an overweight woman who manages–most of the time–to be confident in her life, including in her appearance. We will see Memphis, the main character, battle her demons with weight, appearance, relationships, and, of course, her eating disorder.
I would like, if that is okay with all of you, to share the novel with you as it evolves. Your input is important to me, and I want to portray this character and her life richly and as far away from a stereotype as possible.
Join me on this journey! Chapter one comes out tomorrow.
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