Book Review

Your Big Fat Boyfriend: How to Stay Thin When Dating a Diet Disaster

By Jenna Bergen Quirk Books (2009) Reviewed by: Keri M. Gans, MS, RD, CDN

Claims:

Readers will discover how to eat healthfully when dining in not-so-healthful places; creative ideas for active dates; differences in male and female metabolisms; what to order when your guy insists on the drive-thru; and healthy recipes that taste great and won't leave your guy hungry.

Synopsis of the Diet Plan:

This book doesn't provide a daily meal plan, but it offers many solutions to unhealthy situations one may find herself in with her boyfriend. It provides the reader with helpful tips on how and what to order in a restaurant or when ordering in; how to maneuver through the grocery store, read labels and make healthy selections; and how to incorporate exercise into her (and her boyfriend's) lives.

The book includes simple formulas to help readers figure out their calorie needs, BMI and maximum heart rate, plus some easy-to-prepare recipes. Inserted throughout are "Fat Chat" boxes -- stories from "real women like you" on dealing with a fat boyfriend and keeping you thin.

Nutritional Pros and Cons:

As a registered dietitian, I think this book has some great healthy ideas to help a woman maintain her weight while dating a diet disaster and it is written in a humorous manner. However, one must realize a lot of this fun book is based on the author's personal experiences (and those of "real women like you") rather than a nutrition background or scientific research.

Bottom Line:

I would recommend this book, but only to a specific target audience: females without any medical conditions and in their late teens to early thirties. It is a very enjoyable read with lots of humor and actually provides some healthy tips.