Unbearable Lightness

I rarely read memoirs, but I just finished one of the best I've ever read. I first heard of  Portia de Rossi when I watched the show Arrested Development and thought she was hilarious. Recently she has been better known as half of one of the most well known lesbian couples, with her other half being Ellen DeGeneres. In her book, Unbearable Lightness, Portia de Rossi describes her struggle with perfection and acceptance through weight loss, which eventually manifests as anorexia.

As someone who has always struggled with weight issues, this was fascinating to read. Obviously anorexia is not something I've had to deal with, but for anyone who has dieted or felt self-worth from the dropping of the number on the scale, her story is very relatable. The details of her excessive food restriction and exercise are fascinating to read, but what was more interesting to me was the constant berating of herself, the negative thoughts and feelings, the warped view she had of her body when she looked in the mirror. At one point she was distraught about her thighs being too large, that she wanted them to be the same size as her calves. Obviously from an anatomical stand point this is impossible, but there is no reasoning with the distorted mindset of someone with an eating disorder.

I commend Portia de Rossi with her brutal honesty, vulnerability, and insight. Thankfully she found acceptance and love, unlike so many others that struggle with eating disorders.