Skinny Bitch:

Comprehensive Review

 

The aggressive title "Skinny Bitch" and the image of the impossibly thin sexpot in a Little Black Dress on the cover of this bestseller are certainly eye-catching. But be warned, what you see is not quite what you get.

The authors of Skinny Bitch, former model Kim Barnouin and former modeling agent Rory Freedman, are whippet-thin downtown girls with the edgy, urban attitudes to match. They are passionate believers in spreading their message, and their tone borders on - often crossing the line into - bullying. Their prose is heavily peppered with foul language, and their advice and suggestions are sometimes downright....mean. If you feel claws coming out at you and your insecurities tweaked as you read, remember: these gals worked in the modeling industry.

But as to the message itself...well it is about being a strong, sassy and sexy, skinny bitch - by embracing radical vegatarianism. Yeah. Freedman and Barnouin want you to be skinny, but that is really only a by-product of their real goal: which is a vehement defense of animal rights and promotion of a hardcore vegan lifestyle as the only acceptable, healthy way to live.

Describing meat as "dead, rotting, decomposing flesh," the gals say a diet free from animal products and chemical additives will allow you to detoxify and cleanse your body, making it feel infinitely better. And when your body feels better, you are happier, healthier, more energized and - apt to be skinny. But be warned that they wrap this point of view in graphic accounts of the horrors of the beef and poultry processing industries: if you go off of meat because you are enlightened by what you learned here about health, or simply because what you read made you sick, seems to be of no consequence. It's a means to an end that - and this is our fundamental problem with this book - is not advertised. This book is not really about dieting - it's about PETA politics.

As to the merits of vegatarianism - there's no arguing that organic fruits, vegetables, whole grains, soy products and high-fiber natural foods are elemental to a healthy diet. Or that cutting back on and/or removing sugar, artificial sweeteners, refined flour, caffeine and alcohol are also beneficial. But experts say that banning meat, fish, dairy and eggs can be dangerous - eliminating animal products means eliminating essential nutrients like protein, iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin D, riboflavin, vitamin B12, omega 3 fatty acids and iodine. Though the American Dietetic Association approves of vegetarian and vegan diets - it's only if they're planned in consultation with a registered dietitian.

The gals encourage regular exercise, recommending yoga in particular. That is excellent advice, but when they tell you not to eat anything for extended periods to get used to the feeling of a hungry, empty stomach, headaches and nausea so you know that your body is really cleansing itself - well, is that really how you want to live? If you follow the plan laid out by the Skinny Bitch girls you will lose weight simply because it's so low calorie. A more plant-based diet is a good thing, but bear in mind the nutritional deficiencies which can arise if you eliminate all animal based products. FYI the success of this book spawned a cookbook called "Skinny Bitch in the Kitch", and an upcoming book targeting men called "Skinny Bastard."