"My life was a circus and a comedy show by the age of three months: I was already the size of a one-year-old!" writes twenty-year-old Alberto Hidalgo-Robert in this fascinating memoir about his lifelong struggle with obesity. The first grandchild born into his family in El Salvador, Alberto is showered with attention and gifts. Soon, though, he is known as "El Gordito," or the little fat boy. By the age of seven, he weighed a whopping 120 pounds and he was put on a diet by his pediatrician. By the time he was nine he had tried ten different diets. His life became a vicious cycle of eating to excess, sneaking food and lying to himself and his parents; he was the butt of practical jokes and teased by peers and strangers, ultimately turning into a recluse, addicted to food and television. Hidalgo-Robert chronicles how he was able to take hold of his life, reinvent himself and become a model for other teenagers who are battling weight issues. This book offers a roadmap for living a healthy life and regaining self-respect and social acceptance. Each chapter contains "battling" tools, examples of both good and bad behavior and typical self-deceptions in the war to conquer oneself and live a healthier life. He even includes easy-to-make recipes for delicious foods that will appeal to any teen. An absorbing account of one young person's attempts to deal with obesity, this cautionary tale is for anyone interested in this country's leading health issue.
"In this touching and often humorous memoir, a young Latino man from Texas recalls his childhood as the obese center of his extended family. Teenagers, and perhaps especially Latino readers, will relate to his struggles with family expectations and sabotage."
