Our own private exodus

This book analyzes the writings of evangelical weight-loss author Gwen Shamblin from a cultural studies perspective and inquires into the underlying meanings and significance of the American imperative to be thin. In her writings, Gwen Shamblin—one of the key figures of the Christian dieting movement in America—argues that overweight is indicative of a spiritual void that should be filled with God rather than food. The key questions addressed in this study are how Shamblin's success relates to US culture and religion in general, and whether her discourse, bizarre though it may occasionally seem, can be considered a typical expression of the way America understands itself.