The Elephant in the Room

Women are taught that being slim is a sign of success. The Elephant in the Room examines why diets fail, why size shaming persists and why women believe that changing their bodies will fix their lives.

Written by health economist and lifelong dieter, Christine M Thomas has spent her career evaluating real-world evidence in healthcare and a lifetime stepping on and off the scales. Since first researching the cost of obesity two decades ago, she has lost and regained a total of ten stone herself.

So, when she finally lost weight, why didn’t she stay slim? Christine traces her journey from forbidden sweets to childhood memories that her body couldn’t forget.

Powerful, evidence-based and deeply personal, the book uncovers the roots of weight gain, the reasons diets fail, and the social pressure that encourages women to distrust their own bodies.

This is not a 10-step programme or another diet plan. It is an invitation to stop trying to fix our bodies and start listening to them.