From author and wellness personality Chrissy King, an exciting, genre-redefining narrative mix of memoir, inspiration, and activities and prompts, with timely messages about social and racial justice and how the world needs to move beyond body positivity to something even more exciting and revolutionary: body liberation.When Chrissy King first joined a gym, she had one goal in mind: to “get skinny.” In pursuit of this goal, she fell into the all-too-common cycle of “not enough-ness”; no matter what she achieved, there was always something she felt she needed to change about her body, her appearance, herself. This made her realize the most liberating truth of all: She was not the problem. Diet and fitness industries rooted in white supremacy were the problem; Eurocentric and carefully manufactured beauty standards were the problem; discourses telling her that her happiness was directly tied to her physical appearance were the problem. So she created an actionable method to redefine the relationship we have with our bodies, thereby achieving a sense of self-worth that is completely separate from how we look.The Body Liberation Project is about finding actual freedom in our bodies by discovering strength and aspects of fitness, movement, and eating that work for YOU. Its about realizing that the goal is not to look at our bodies and love everything we see; its to understand that at our essence we are so much more than our bodies. But its also about recognizing the harsh realities that prohibit people in marginalized bodies from being able to do so. Society constantly bombards those who fall outside Eurocentric standards of beauty (think Black, fat, trans,etc.) with the message that they are less attractive, and part of the journey toward body liberation is examining your own privilege, acknowledging the harm you may be causing others, and mourning your old ideas about what a body “should” look like. Recognizing that none of us are free until all of us are, Chrissy King shares the wisdom, the tools, and the inspiration to motivate readers to find body liberation and, even more important, to pass it on.
In her groundbreaking book, "The Body Liberation Project: How Understanding Racism and Diet Culture Helps Cultivate Joy and Build Collective Freedom," Chrissy King explores the intersection of racism and diet culture, revealing how they work together to oppress and marginalize people of color.
King argues that diet culture, with its emphasis on thinness and control, is a tool of white supremacy that has been used to police the bodies of people of color. She shows how diet culture is rooted in the history of colonialism and slavery, and how it continues to be used to justify discrimination against people of color today.
King also offers a powerful critique of the wellness industry, which she argues is often complicit in promoting diet culture and racism. She challenges readers to think critically about the messages they receive from the wellness industry, and to choose instead to prioritize their own health and well-being.
"The Body Liberation Project" is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the complex relationship between racism and diet culture. King's writing is clear, engaging, and thought-provoking, and she offers a wealth of resources for readers who want to learn more about these issues.
This book is a call to action for a more just and equitable world. King shows us how we can all work together to dismantle racism and diet culture, and create a world where everyone can feel free to be themselves.
