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Pattie Thomas describes herself as a reluctant warrior in “the war on obesity.” She envisions herself not as a svelte former fattie like the countless commercials offered in the media, but as a Sumo ready to knock down those who wage war on fat and fat people.

The Sumo warrior, she suggests, is a perfect symbol for fat people in the so-called “war on obesity” because Sumos are front-line warriors who traditionally used their girth to open up space for others to win their battles. If the world can accept fat people as they are, then all people would be acceptable, and diversity would be celebrated.

Her sociological memoir, Taking Up Space, is about being fat and the physical, emotional and economic costs of trying to pass for thin in a culture and society that wages war on fat people.

Making her own life a case study, using her doctorate in medical sociology, Thomas, with her co-author and husband Carl Wilkerson, outlines how stigma limit and shape the life chances of all people. Together Thomas and Wilkerson demonstrate how the “war on obesity” can be won, not by losing weight, but by simply giving up the battle with the bulge and instead learning how to carry one’s weight well.

Thomas is a reluctant warrior, however. She wrote her memoir because “being fat” is a central fact in her life — or so it is from the point of view of others. Thomas would rather be remembered as a writer, poet, artist, photographer, filmmaker, sociologist, traveler and
entrepreneur. By confronting those who would sum up her life by her size, she has found the time and creativity to develop all those passions. She hopes that she has demonstrated how a sociologically examined life can lead to personal growth.

Carl Wilkerson is a deeply passionate human being who has many skills, talents and educational experiences, some of which may seem contradictory in nature and none of which can be said to describe the sum total of his life.

He is a writer, composer, lyricist, filmmaker, humorist, radio producer and performing artist. He has a Bachelor of Science from Wake Forest University in mathematics and an MBA from the Goizueta School of Business at Emory University.

Wilkerson is an entrepreneur. He is a public philosopher. He loves to travel. He has a working knowledge of French and is learning Spanish.

Oh yeah, and Wilkerson is deeply and passionately in love with a fat woman. This last fact about his life is many times the only one to which people pay attention. In the current cultural climate, being associated with fat people is as “bad” as being fat.

That is why, when given the opportunity for yet another collaboration with his wife and creative partner, Pattie Thomas, Wilkerson accepted the challenge with relish. Thomas’s sociological memoir, Taking Up Space, is about being fat and the physical, emotional and economic costs
of trying to pass for thin in a culture and society that wages war on fat people.

By making her life as a fat woman a case study, Thomas and Wilkerson outline how stigma limit and shape the life chances of all people. Together they demonstrate how the “war on obesity” can be won, not by losing weight, but by simply giving up the battle with the bulge and
instead learning how to carry one’s weight well.

For Thomas, this is especially hard because she faces debilitating illnesses that may be directly related to her efforts to lose weight over a 30-year period. Wilkerson plays the role of her caregiver with compassion. His collaboration in this project directly reflects his desire for
the war on fat people to end so that both he and his partner can develop and pursue their passions with as few social and physical barriers as possible.

Description

Does your child have ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)?Meet David, one of award-winning author Sherrill S. Cannon's "Classroom of Kids," who manages his ADHD with the help of classmates.David discovers ways to cope with his hyperactive brain, while learning how to calm and soothe his ADHD. Solutions include setting daily schedules and following simple rules that regulate behavior. His teachers and therapists encourage using the computer for academic advancement, and to establish a pattern for study as well as for occasional recreation. David not only learns self-control and communication skills, but is able to fit into the classroom and make friends.Once again social values are emphasized in the author's latest illustrated children's story, and classroom friends from previous books are featured. In fact, David has been part of the class for a long time!"David's ADHD is a timely topic for parents and children. A story in rhyme that demystifies ADHD. It explains a youngster's behavior in terms of his inattentiveness and impulsivity and how it impacts those around him. A sensitive way of creating understanding for children with ADHD and their families." - Dr. Valerie Allen, licensed school psychologistAuthor Bio: Former teacher Sherrill S. Cannon has won 76 awards for her previous 11 rhyming books. She is also the author of seven published and internationally performed plays for elementary school children. The author has been called "an absolute master of rhyming" and "a modern-day Dr. Seuss."

Reviews

"...terrific...a fabulous and honest book about the myths of obesity as well as the author's personal journey to size acceptance." Lara Frater author of Fat Chicks Rule! "...it's one of the best fat acceptance and fat activism books I've read in recent memory -- and is definitely worth your time." Big Fat Blog "This book rocked. End of review!" Red Polka dot org (who does go on to write "...it's the sort of book I've been waiting for. It's an Official Fat Chick Book that has something serious and smart to say -- equal parts memoir and sociological study, as promised, but also a guide to living in and changing a world that really hates fat people.") "Taking Up Space was so powerfully and beautifully written that I did not want it to end. With evocative and witty prose, Dr. Thomas addresses the issues that took me years to learn: If we are ever to be content with ourselves, we must understand and challenge those aspects of our society that tear us down. "As a nutritionist who has had to develop a new nderstanding of eating and weight issues to successfully treat my clients, it is clear to me that Dr. Thomas has captured the essence of what true change and true happiness are all about. A must-read for people of ALL sizes. I will be recommending this to all my clients." Karin Kratina, Ph.D., R.D., LD/N Nutrition Therapist, Author, Speaker Nutrition Coordinator, Eating Disorders Program, University of Florida"Taking Up Space is among the best books I've read on the costs of stigma for fat people and society. Written for the "average reader," it is sophisticated, funny and touching. Dr. Pattie Thomas, with her husband and co-author, Carl Wilkerson, have clearly demonstrated what we at Size Matters, Too have been telling our clients and radio audiences for years — size prejudice is costing our country a bundle in wasted human resources, and accommodating size diversity is good business, as well as the right thing to do. "I will be recommending this book to my clients and my listeners. It is a must-read for all people of size and people of all sizes!" Veronica Cook Euell President, Euell Consulting Group, LLC Host, WCRS (Akron, OH) & online radio show Size Matters "...a feast of information, ideas, talking points, discussions. Anyone who has struggled with weight or who works with clients who face these issues will find this book challenging, disturbing, and ultimately comforting as it attempts to change deeply held prejudices that for most of us are unconscious." Susan Hammonds-White, Ed.D, LPC/MHSP Nashville Psychotherapy Institute 2006-2007 co-chair "Thomas's incisive blend of sociological inquiry and personal narrative amounts to a provocative treatise on fat oppression in our culture. Taking Up Space is a kind of roadmap through the minefield of the "war on obesity," and it offers protection to the reader ready to fight for cultural change surrounding the meaning of fatness." Kathleen LeBesco, Ph.D. Author, Revolting Bodies: The Struggle to Redefine Fat Identity "Taking Up Space could be called a memoir with a Ph.D., or it could be called sociology with a heart. Pattie Thomas brings to the table her careful study and analysis of the medical, political, and social aspects of weight in our culture. To this she adds her witty and deeply felt poetry, as well as her revealing and personal journal (and journey) on the path to self-love. That path, she shows, requires that fat people recognize the bigotry that is aimed at them. "Written in a lucid and readable style, this book provides insights and resources for professionals as well as for those who struggle with issues of weight and body image. Taking Up Space should be required reading for all those who want to help make this world a better place." Miriam Berg President <a href="http://www.cswd.org">Council on Size & Weight Discrimination</a>"The personal is political, and the political is personal — Dr. Thomas offers her perspective as a thoughtful sociologist to examine the experience of being a fat woman here and now. "A consciousness-raising group is packed between the covers of this book. You will not think the same way about your own experiences after reading it. Artful response to stigma!" Deb Burgard, Ph.D. Licensed Psychologist & Eating Disorders Specialist co-author of Great Shape: The First Fitness Guide for Large Women creator of <a href="http://www.bodypositive.com">BodyPositive.com</a> & <a href="http://www.showmethedata.info">ShowMeTheData.info</a> Health At Every Size practitioner "This book has punch — from its personal fat narrative to the social context that stigmatizes a proper identity. "I was struck with how powerful the story became as the myths, poetry, and sage advice conveyed both the dignity and pain of a condition that is increasingly medicalized as obesity. Taken away from its place as a way of life and alternative drama of experience, fat gains embodies and personal dignity, while also claiming a space in the social world for one human variation among many. "This is a story about acceptance, of the fat self and its body, one in need of repeated telling to others and to a public that are largely silent on acceptability."Jay Gubrium, Ph.D. Professor & Chair, Department of Sociology University of Missouri "Dr. Thomas brings her breadth of scholarship,the wretched open heart of her own life story and the sublime artistry of her poetry into this analysis of the life of fat people. The book centers on her life and experience but holds the truth of the difficult world we fat people navigate in terms of attitudes, projections and stereotypes. It is not a dour read but rather a call for a paradigm shift that comes from her own mind, heart and body. The fat community is well served by her voice." Tish Parmeley <a href="http://www.fatshadow.com">Fatshadow</a>

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David's ADHD

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Pattie Thomas & Carl Wilkerson