‘Maggie Goes On A Diet’ is a new children’s book, authored and self-published by Paul M. Kramer, due out this October and geared towards readership as young as four-years-old. It tells the story of a 14-year-old adolescent girl who becomes a school soccer star after losing weight by going on a diet and limiting snacks, etc. Aren’t there more effective ways of being a soccer star than going on a diet?
But, perhaps this is really a book about an adolescent girl who gives in to the peer and societal pressures to look a certain way in order to feel good about herself? One of the first things I noticed was the distorted image in the mirror (body image distortion being a hallmark symptom of eating disorders). The second thing I noticed was that Maggie is not holding up an all-star soccer uniform, she is holding up an ultra-thin dress that she is hoping to fit into, one even smaller than her trimmed down mirror image.
As you might imagine, the story has become the target of tremendous controversy and criticism. Many reviews point to the irresponsibility of negatively targeting the self-esteem of young girls, Maggie’s acceptance of the bullying she experiences directed toward her weight, and the sheer danger of exposing children to these messages.
Many are up in arms and speaking out about what they think:
“for any parent to buy [this book] would be unforgivable.”
“4-8 year-olds should not be taught that dieting is a healthy choice.”
“The idea of this book makes me want to either cry or scream – actually both.”
“This is a dangerous book.”
Hundreds of reviews have addressed how this book, and the like, will contribute to early-onset eating disorders. Many have gone so far as to ask that Mr. Kramer remove the book from the market.
Mr. Kramer maintains that his book is not aimed at preschoolers and stated to Fox News that “I’m not advocating, never did, that any child should go on a diet. First of all, this is a change of lifestyle. This is not meant to be to go on a diet.” Here is his side of the story.
So… is this truly a case of judging a book by its cover (the book has not yet been released) or is there enough here to warrant the verbal barbs it has suffered thus far? What do you think?
jodi rubin, acsw, lcsw, ceds 
August 29th, 2011 at 2:16 pm
Jodi this article really hit the nail on the head for so many parents of young children today. I have been the Director of an early childhood center for many years and have unfortunately seen many parents making many poor choices for their preschoolers. One of my four year olds told us that when packing for a family vacation the mom told her first grade daughter that she was the only girl in the family that couldn’t wear a bikini because her belly was too big. The four year old told us that she wasn’t going to let her belly get big too. Very very often we see poor lunch choices for the children prepared by the mom and driven by the moms own poor body image. One of my preschoolers brings a squeeze tube yogurt and a bottle of water each day. This is hardly an appropriate lunch for a growing preschooler. It is clear that the mom is obsessed with her own body. As a school we try to run parenting sessions to counteract these poor practices, but I think that preschool nutrition should also be a very important part of a pediatrician’s visit. Keep these wonderful articles coming, Jodi. You are changing the lives of our leaders of tomorrow.
August 29th, 2011 at 2:29 pm
Thank you! It is a relief to hear that schools are aware and helping to educate parents, as well as their children. You, too, are making huge difference!
August 29th, 2011 at 8:43 pm
If the book is advocating a healthy lifestyle change, then it should be called “Maggie Takes Care of Herself,” not “Maggie Goes on a Diet.” Children need to learn that they can’t “go on a diet” unless their doctor tells them to (and hopefully, most doctors won’t use the term “go on a diet” and will instead encourage healthier eating and exercise), and hopefully no child will decide to go on a diet after reading this book.
That being said, we probably shouldn’t be judging the book by its cover. But based on its cover alone, it definitely seems like an inappropriate children’s book that could do more harm than good.
September 26th, 2011 at 3:15 pm
Well said, and I fully agree! Thank you, Jess!
November 10th, 2011 at 2:41 am
I’ve actually read this book and it is horrific. The girl becomes more popular because she loses weight. If this book is supposed to educate children about choosing a healthy lifestyle, then it is terribly misguided. We need to find better ways of educating children about healthy eating and exercise habits – ways that do not emphasize appearance. I also think we need to find better ways of educating kids (particularly girls) about eating disorders. Many girls develop eating disorders after learning about them in school. That didn’t happen to me, but I know some girls who did experience that. But, I wonder if I would have thought more about the consequences of eating disorders if someone had told me about their effects on quality of life. When I was a kid, I didn’t care about physical consequences, because I was like “okay, the physical consequences are that I get really skinny. good.” Death wasn’t scary when I was a kid. Anyway, I’ve written more about this on my blog.
November 10th, 2011 at 8:31 am
Thank you for your opinion about this book. I have not read the book yet. You are right in your belief that things like these, e.g.: books, messages, etc. at an early age do matter and we, as a society, need to be careful with out children and young adults (and adults, for that matter). Thank you again for your comment!
November 10th, 2011 at 2:43 am
My blog is: http://takingbackrecovery.blogspot.com/
– if anyone is interested.