He isøthe epitome of health?or a walking time bomb. He is oversexed?or sexless. He is jolly?or hiding the tears of a clown. He is the picture of wealth and plenty?or the bloated, malnourished emblem of poverty. He is the fat man?a cultural icon, a social enigma, a pressing medical issue?and he is the subject of this remarkably rich book. The figures that Sander L. Gilman considers, from the ugly fat man with the beautiful sylph trapped inside to the smart fat boy to the aging body desirous of rejuvenation, appear and reappear in different guises throughout Western culture. And as is often true of marginal cases, they serve to define the shifting center of our dreams and beliefs. A tentative exploration in the world of male body fantasies, Gilman?s book asks how the representation of the fat man alters with time and alters how men relate to their own bodies and the bodies of others, both men and women. His examples?ranging from Santa Claus to Sancho Panza, from Falstaff to Babe Ruth, from Nero Wolfe to Al Roker?illustrate the complexity perennially associated with fat men. From discourses about normality to the playing fields of baseball, from Greek male beauty to the fat detective, Gilman?s book examines and illuminates how cultures have imagined and portrayed the fat boy.

Where and Why The Fat Boy’s Book was written... Sitting quietly at Chambers of Commerce luncheons and banquets, waiting my turn on the lecture platform, gave me the idea of the need for a Fat Boy’s Book. I began to observe around me the hodge-podge collection of “banker’s shapes,” affluent men who had made good, then relaxed and put on bay windows. Then I looked at myself. It was nice to see so much success in America, Land of Big Appetites and Opportunity, but, unfortunately, success had settled at the belt lines. So, surrounded by my best inspirations, I started to write, and many a Chamber secretary will now know for the first time what I was scribbling on the back of the song sheet “God Bless America!” It was The Fat Boy’s Book. BE A MAN OF DISTINCTION: SWITCH FROM FAT TO TRIM

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Sixteen-year-old Carlos Duarte is on the verge of realizing his dream of becoming a famous make-up artist, but first he must face his jealous boss at a Macy's cosmetics counter, his sister's abusive boyfriend, and his crush on a punk-rocker classmate.

Using the most current and diverse critical methods, Where the Boys Are is a crucial resource for film scholars and students at any level, and is the perfect companion to Gateward and Pomerance’s Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice: Cinemas of Girlhood (Wayne State University Press, 2002).

From Geoff Herbach, the award-winning author of the hit young adult novels Stupid Fast and Nothing Special, comes the ultimate underdog story, which will resonate with anyone who has suffered from teasing and bullying at the hands of the high school social hierarchy—and decided to do something about it. (Previously titled Fat Boy vs The Cheerleaders.) Gabe is having a tough week. Normally the funny kid at the lunch table, he's on edge from trying to kick his soda addiction. So when news breaks that his beloved marching band camp has been cancelled due to lack of funding, he's furious. What makes him even madder? The school's vending machine money—which had previously been collected by the band—is now sponsoring the new cheer squad. The war is ON. And Gabe is leading the charge. No one will be safe from the Geekers' odd brand of wrath: not the principal, the band teacher, the local newspaper, and certainly not the cheerleaders and their jock boyfriends. Get ready: Life at Minnekota Lake Area High School is about to change. Gabe Johnson is taking over. "A funny, uplifting, and rousing book that'll make readers think. In other words, it's a real gem." —K. M. Walton, author of Cracked and Empty

In today’s world where fast-food restaurants, soda, and processed foods reign supreme, does “fat dad” have to mean “fat kid”? Digital entrepreneur and beloved vlogger Shay Butler and his preteen son, Gavin, decided to find out the answer for themselves. Before Shay became famous for vlogging about life with his boisterous brood of five, known on YouTube as the Shaytards, he was like many other American dads: He worked 9 to 5 to pay the bills, ate double bacon cheeseburgers during his lunch breaks, sipped soda throughout the day, and watched Netflix with handfuls of candy. These small behaviors added up, and before he turned thirty, Shay was nearly 300 pounds. Motivated by the fear that he could have a heart attack before thirty-five, Shay decided to make incremental changes to his eating habits and exercise regimen. Adopting the attitude that every action, no matter how small, was better than what he was doing before, Shay lost more than 100 pounds and ran four marathons, becoming a source of inspiration for everyone who followed his journey on his ShayLoss channel on YouTube. Now, at the age of thirty-five, Shay has discovered that “maintaining” is the hard part. He has also seen how some of his hard-to-break habits are affecting his children, particularly his eldest son, Gavin, who grew up during the years when his dad had “a little extra Shay on him.” Determined to get back into shape and inspire his son along the way, Shay asked Gavin to embark on a thirty-day challenge with him to eat clean and do thirty minutes of exercise a day. Full of Shay’s signature blend of humor, honesty, and unbridled enthusiasm, Fat Dad, Fat Kid chronicles the ups and downs of Shay and Gavin’s thirty days together, reflects on Shay’s lifelong struggle with health and fitness, and proves that it’s never too late for parents or children to embrace a healthier lifestyle—even when it doesn’t come easy.