Review: It's No Big Loss? Hardly!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 10, 2012
Weight loss. Now there's an oxymoron for you. (Sort of like "jumbo shrimp" and "military intelligence." But I digress.)One of my favorite comedians was the late, great George Carlin. His rapierlike wit and astute observances of the mundane and of the sublime were spot on (at least in this writer's opinion). Often, Carlin's well-honed sarcasm, replete with facial and physical tics, served to accentuate some serious underlying problems plaguing our society---such as obesity. Carlin's dislike for exercise was not unknown by his fans, and one of his routines involved asserting that being a fitness nut was redundant. Carlin did this by comparing a running afficionado all decked out in the latest garb and maintaining a fastidious diet and timely schedule, only to collapse of a heart attack and dying on the spot a la Jim Fixx, with that of some overweight apathetic slob with sky-high blood pressure, diabetes, and a two-pack-a-day cigarette habit living well past the century mark. Throughout the sketch, Carlin's strong empathy for the underdog often shone through---as long as the underdog was actually doing something to improve themselves.As much as Carlin's cantankerous shtick served his audience well with its not-too-subtle messages, he was not above injecting a serious byline or two to make a particular point. At the sketch's conclusion, he stated that it was important to do everything in moderation, and to be happy while doing so. This same attitude is prevalent throughout Stephen Williams's "Fast Weight Loss: Do It Now and Be Healthy." Like Carlin, Williams also maintains that weight loss, like any endeavor we choose to undertake in life, should never be a chore or some burdensome guilt trip; instead, adopting sensible weight-loss practices and seeing your physician on a regular basis go a long way towards losing unwanted and unnecessary weight, while simultaneously boosting and improving your emotional and mental outlook.Unlike Carlin's gruff attitude towards certain individuals, Williams does not revel in personal insult or denigration; rather, he maintains an open, direct, easy communication with his readers by recognizing that all of us have personal demons that may interfere with achieving successful weight loss. He resolves this by acknowledging these limitations from the outset and by encouraging people to strive for excellence, not perfection.Williams confronts the rampant, prevalent one-size-fits-all mentality by promoting personal choice. He asserts that, should someone choose to lose weight, they should do so because they want to. This focus upon what is best for the individual is psychologically sound because it is in the person's own best interest. He also acknowledges that there will be days where his readers will slip up, and that it is important to forgive yourself and move on, rather than be overly harsh and self-critical."Fast Weight Loss" stresses that society promotes an unrealisitic body image that far too many of us strive to emulate. Being able to accept the way we look to ourselves, coupled with losing weight, well serve us far more effectively than anything else we will encounter.Williams does a terrific job outlining a good approach to weight loss, and this book will be of benefit for most people.