In this book, Essie covers various aspects of body image not just from a size aspect, but also from living in a queer disabled body. I so appreciated how they covered many aspects of accepting your body, beyond just learning to live in a fat body. Essie conveys the message so many of us feel growing up, of not knowing how to feel comfortable in your own skin in a world that seems to want to reject your body (and in turn, you) at every turn. As someone on the asexual spectrum, nonbinary, fat, and bisexual, Essie is able to share their lived experiences in a way that makes the reader feel less alone. And not only do they share their experiences, they interviewed other marginalized folks about their experiences. I think these interviews added so much and allowed Essie to shed light on marginalized groups they don’t belong to.

It’s hard for me to explain how much I related to this book and how much I got from it. So I thought I’d share some of the discussions that especially stuck out to me:

- the importance of self-reflection. A reflection at the end on what you would say to your younger self had me teary eyed.
- the intertwining of ableism and fatphobia
- the discussion on how trauma related to being queer increases vulnerability to eating disorders/body dysmorphia
- how food scarcity leads to food restriction and negative thoughts surrounding food and body image
- how accepting your body is more doable when you accept your identity
- the lack of fat liberation for men, especially queer men