Note: Below is my original review of Women Food and God. Since then, I have since taken a closer look at the book and recorded a video with my additional thoughts. You can listen to it at the end of this post.
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You may have heard of a new book called “Women Food and God” by Geneen Roth about compulsive overeating. I heard it was featured on Oprah, but I discovered it by accident while browsing popular books on Amazon. The title intrigued me, so I bought it.
But I stopped reading on page 16. More about that later, but first I want to share a conversation I read on an earlier page.
The author has a retreat for women who compulsively overeat and this is what one attendee told her over dinner. It is startling:
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Laurie, a thirty-five year old CEO of a Boston mortgage company, raises her hand. “I am not hungry, but I want to be. I want to eat anyway.”
“Why is that?” I ask.
“Because it looks good and it’s here, right now. It’s the best comfort in town. What’s wrong with wanting comfort from food?”
“Not a thing,” I say. “Food is good and comfort is good. Except that when you are not hungry and you want comfort, food is only a temporary pallative; why not address the discomfort directly?”
“It’s too hard to address things directly, too painful, and there isn’t any end to it. And if it’s going to be endlessly painful, then at least I have food,” she answers.
“So you figure that the best you can get out of life is cold vegetable soup?”
When she talks again, her voice is quivering. “It’s the only true comfort I have and I am not going to deprive myself of it.”
______________________
That hurt my heart because I was once in the same place as Laurie.
Even though I was “saved,” I did not trust God for comfort.
At that time, I didn’t view him as one who loved me and could heal my pain. Instead, I viewed him as ready to judge and condemn me.
Reading that conversation alone was worth the cost of Women Food and God for me, but I stopped reading on page 16 because of this author statement: “It doesn’t matter whether we believe in one God, many gods, or no god.”
Oh, but it does matter!
I believe there is no such thing as a weight management issue; it is all ultimately a life management issue.
Your belief about God determines how you view life, approach it, and what you expect from it.
If you believe there is no God, then all you have is yourself as the compass to discern what is good and right.
And we know all know how self-deceptive humans can be.
If you believe in many gods, then how do you know which to follow in a given situation?
God is not the author of confusion.
I believe in the God who says in Isaiah 44:6:
Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.”
It makes a big difference when you view yourself as a daughter (or son) of the King.
I believe in the God who heals as said in Psalm 147:3:
He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.”
And I believe in the God who comforts, protects, and leads me in the right way as said in Psalm 23:4:
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
I have a personal relationship with the one true God, which I obtained through the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6): Jesus.
So I say to Laurie and to anyone else suffering from compulsive eating:
“God is the true source of comfort and he wants you to expect more from life than cold vegetable soup! He wants you to experience eternal life, which is that you may know Him, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He sent.”
Open up your heart and let God comfort you. Trust him and you will be healed.
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Video Follow-up Review: Author’s Views on God
Be blessed with health, healing, and wholeness,
Kimberly Taylor
Author of the Take Back Your Temple program
P.S. When it comes to weight loss, do you often know what you should do but have a hard time doing it?
I struggled with this issue on my own weight loss journey, but I discovered that “Nothing is different until you think differently.”
The value of the Take Back Your Temple program is that you will learn how to think differently through using Biblical keys to overcome obstacles. You’ll discover how to win the Spiritual and mental battle that often causes us to become inconsistent and get off-track on our weight loss journey.
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Thank you Thank you Thank you. I wanted to purchase this book because I am a binge eater. I remembered seeing the author on Oprah and hearing the title and knew I had to have the book. Something to told me to google the title and Christian view and I came across your page. Your page has blessed me so much I shared it with a friend. Thank you once again.
Thanks to everyone who responded to this post. I appreciate you for sharing your thoughts. At first, I was hesitant to post this review but your comments encouraged me that it was the right thing to do. I am grateful to God for giving me the opportunity to share what he has been teaching me about health and overcoming emotional eating. God bless you all!
Kim
Heard about the book “Women FOod and God” and saw your review and am thankful for the Christian and Biblical perspective.
I read some of the sample chapters of the book, and in the epilogue the author’s last line of the book is about we ourselves being divine, being God. That is disturbing, especially since I am a poor God for myself, and anyone else for that matter. Thank you for pointing us to God of the Bible!
I was looking for a review such as yours because I really would like to read the book. I am an English major and have been looking into the publishing word quite a bit. I continue to wonder if her publisher asked her to change the sentence to appeal to a worldly view of who God is. I was just talking to my boy friend after I realized that the most comfortable with myself I have been has been the times when my faith life was flourishing. When I am in a spiritual low that is when I struggle the most. In reading this book we just need to remember that in no matter what we read the ultimate goal is to stay strong with what we believe and for us is it the incredible love and comfort from Jesus. God calls us to love him and only him, for this we know. I believe there a message within this book in that we must really focus on what WE believe and live our lives according to that! That is the most important aspect to loving ourselves. God provides us with guidelines in which to love by but he also gives is free will so it is a true and honest yearning and love for him.
Thanks for your review and all that back you up and left comments!
God Bless
Stacy
I decided to watch Oprah today and heard the title of this book and got really excited. Until I heard Oprah and the author describing what “god” meant in the title. I got a sinking feeling in my stomach and felt the Holy Spirit tell me to turn off the t.v. I turned off the t.v. and got on line to do some more research on this book. I am so glad I found this review. I am saddened that she has so much power and exposure right now because although finding out why we over eat is very important she is only going to further damage women who are seeking and hurt.
I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit and will be praying for all the women who come across this book.
God Bless you for your wisdom and willingness to speak out on this.
Thank you so much for your review. My son just gave me this book. I hadn’t heard anything about it, but when I read that it was featured on the Oprah’s show, red flags came up. I wanted to read reviews from the Christian perspective and thank God I found your website.
Keep up the good work and may God bless you.
What a wonderful response to the book. I pray that I can have your level of faith one day. God bless.
Hello Kim,
Just found your website while searching for high energy foods. What a blessing to find such a strong Christian woman behind it all!
I had not heard about this book you are discussing, but I saw a blurp about this author G.R. would be on Oprah’s show. Years ago I use to watch Oprah quite often, but about 7-8 years ago I began to notice her “christianity” & belief in God had become VERY askewed! I heard some very scary comments from her and just could not support her anymore. I quit watching her, & instead I pray for her because I believe she use to have more biblical views, but it has become very apparent to have switched to a more “worldly/new age” religion. So anyway, even though I have not read the book or even know much about it, this discussion has showed me your strength in Jesus and the Bible. I really liked your comment to Sandi & the cake bit, it is such a great example of how important it is to be in God’s Word to discern against the rampant so called christian views these days. Really sad how up is down and down is up in our world, but God warns us of these days and prayer, reading His word & listening to the Holy Spirit will keep me right 🙂 He is so good & I love Him. Thank you for your site, I am so excited to see more of it and continue to follow it regularly!
God Bless you,
Valerie
Hi Valerie,
I am so glad that you found TBYT! Yes, this discussion about ‘Women Food and God’ was quite eye-opening for me! But you are right – as believers, we must stay in God’s word so can see for ourselves what it says. Unfortunately, there are many who just rely on what they heard in church, heard from tradition, or take as gospel truth what someone else says. But it’s like that game most of us played in school – someone whispers a phrase to the next person in line and by the time it is passed on to the last person in line, it bears no resemblance to what was originally said!
The bible says of God in Proverbs 22:21: “That I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth, That you may answer words of truth To those who send to you?” So I feed my mind with God’s word every day – even if it is just a scripture or two from biblegateway.com or listening to an audio teaching.
Like you said Valerie, you have to be able to discern truth from falsehood in a world in which ‘up is down’ ‘down is up’ and of course when ‘wrong is right’ and ‘right is wrong’! None of us are immune to that influence – no matter what position we hold in the church.
Thank you so much for your comments. They really encourage me. I love the Lord too and am so grateful to him for saving me.
I believe that God is a spirit that we are fully aware of as children but we lose the connection as we grow more cynical. Wasn’t that her point? Aren’t we making food our ‘god’? It may just be my experience and not an objecetive one: but why is it that when a Christian comes across those who don’t fully believe the way they do they seem to become mean and judgemental?
Hi Palena,
I appreciate you for stopping by! I agree with Ms. Roth about some allowing food to become their god. In fact the bible communicates that very idea. The disagreement comes in the solution offered to the issue. I respect Ms. Roth and her views – she has a right to them as I have to mine. I don’t believe seeing yourself as god or as the universe is the answer to compulsive eating.
You asked, “Why is it that when a Christian comes across those who don’t fully believe the way they do they seem to become mean and judgmental?”
I can’t answer for every Christian, only myself. Jesus tells us that others will know that we are his disciples by our love. That is a high calling and one that I don’t always meet. In fact, I don’t meet it most of the time! However, I know that the only hope that this imperfect woman has is to establish a relationship with the one who has the power to change hearts and change minds.
And that is the one true God that I believe in. Jesus is the way to him. He is the author and finisher of my faith. That is what I have come to learn and it is the key to abundant life.
I will do it respectfully and I will do it in love, but I will tell the truth.
Hi Again Everyone,
I didn’t want it to seem like I thought everyone was angry, I certainly don’t think that at all. This is one gracious group, so I apologize if my post sounded that way. Kim, you are certainly a rock and an example to us all on how to take a bad situation and turn it around for God’s good.
Annie
Hi Annie,
I certainly appreciate your honesty about your anger. We are all works in progress – myself included! So don’t beat yourself up. I don’t always get it right, but I am willing for God to use me as imperfect as I am. But you nailed what God aims to accomplish in us: To be “conformed to the likeness of his son”. Jesus got angry with the moneychangers in the temple, but he did not sin. He still demonstrated great love for people, even to the cross. What an example for us! So yes, the most loving thing we can do is pray for others to come to know him. And while we are doing that to surrender to him and allow him to remake our own hearts – which is a job in itself I’m sure!
Kim
Hi Everyone,
Well, I used to be more quick to anger (I’m sure my sons think I’m still pretty quick to anger), and I have learned that all the Lord really cares about is that we are conformed to the likeness of His Son. Your anger is very righteous, but my anger was driving me to the cookie jar, so I’ve decided to pray for Ms. Roth, for Oprah, their listeners, and for all in our world who don’t know Him, or who have been deceived into thinking He’s just “one way.” Let’s pray that all will acknowledge him someday, that every knee will bend and every head will bow. That is something to get excited about! Praise heaven, He loved us first.
Annie
I agree 100% with Annie. Your review was one pop up that didn’t annoy me!
I too listened to Ms. Roth on Oprah and have read excerpts from her book. She seems like a lovely woman, however, I was disappointed in her definition of “god.” She does capitalize His name on the cover of her book, and then does not acknowledge who He is. I will not judge her, as I know that until she knows Him, she canot not know Him.
On the positive side, she lead me right here to you! How great is God. He wants us to run to him, to find our shelter in Him. Why tap the power of the “universe”, when you have a direct line to the power, strength and comfort of the One who created it?
Glad I found this site before I spent my hard earned money on a book that would have let me down. Thanks.
Hi Annie,
Yes, I too respect Geneen Roth’s talent. She is a gifted writer. But I couldn’t help but think about an incident that occurred with me last week. Google had a picture of the artist Frida Kahlo on its Search home page. I was curious about her life and found out she was married to a fellow artist named Diego Rivera. Rivera was also a tremendous talent, but he was an atheist. In fact, I read in his biography he said “I am an atheist and I consider religions to be a form of collective neurosis.”
I felt grieved because how horrible would it be to stand before almighty God after you leave this Earth and have never even thanked Him who gave you that talent in the first place? To have lived with that arrogance, that pride. Then, you would see the truth in full measure, how he loved you and called you into a relationship with him…but you refused to listen.
I pray for Ms. Roth; I cannot know what work God is doing in her life, even though she does not acknowledge him. I think of how cold and lonely it must be to worship the universe, as she defines God. I don’t see how you can have a personal relationship with the universe.
And I agree with your assessment: “Why tap the power of the “universe”, when you have a direct line to the power, strength and comfort of the One who created it?”
Amen, sister. Amen!
Thank you so much for your review. I too, saw this woman on Oprah and suspected their interpretation of “God” and went to the computer to confirm my suspicions. You have a very good grasp on the gospel and are putting it to good use telling the truth with love. Keep it up.
Thanks so much for your encouragement, Joan. It really touches me and I appreciate it!
Hello Kim!
I just found you on You Tube today and boy am I glad I did! I truly believe the Lord is leading me onto a new path because last Saturday night I got the idea to start “going to church” at home, and to record the Charles Stanley “In Touch” program for each Sunday morning. Well.. when my husband and I sat down to watch I couldn’t believe the message! It was all about Overcoming Discouragement! The message really spoke to my heart because we have had some very discouraging experiences with my husband’s job for the last few years! I was so down in the dumps I managed to gain over a hundred pounds since the year 2000! Well I just decided to stop relying on men to make my life better, because you cannot rely on them! We are both Christians but just haven’t put Christ first. That is going to change! I want what God wants for us, not what we think we should have! I am convinced that my idea to record the Charles Stanley program was not wholly just my idea!! ; )
I’m very excited about this new direction I’m going in, and I totally agree with your review of Geneen Roth’s book. I bought the book too, and I too was taken aback about what she says about God and her beliefs. It sort of blocked me in the reading.. and I set it down one day to continue it later, but guess what! I just never picked it back up again! Because it lacked what I really needed to speak to my heart and convict me!
I don’t think true healing of one’s heart and mind is possible without God and our dear Savior! Without God, you are trying to fix yourself with your own power, and that’s very unstable.
Thank you Kim soooo much for your site and for your wisdom! I love all the bits of information all over the place, which really helps to put you on the right track! I know it’s going to make a big difference in my life!
Love and Blessings to you!
Sue
Hi Sue,
Yay for YouTube! What a wonderful time that we live in to be able to communicate with technology like this. I am so glad that you found TBYT. I love what you said here: “I want what God wants for us, not what we think we should have!” Amen, sister because what God has for you is beyond what you can ask or think. Remember, this is same God who created the stars that you can’t even number.
And you said this: “I don’t think true healing of one’s heart and mind is possible without God and our dear Savior! Without God, you are trying to fix yourself with your own power, and that’s very unstable.”
That is exactly what I discovered in my own healing, Sue. As Jesus taught, when you build your life on his word, you are a house built on solid rock. Building on anything else is, as the song says, “sinking sand”.
God bless you in your renewed focus on building a relationship with him and coming to know him better through his word.
Kim
Hi Kim,
I was watching Oprah today by happen stance and saw there would be a show coming up about this book. As a Christian, and someone who is overweight and has let it define who am in my own mind (Not the truth of the Word on who I am) I was curious. So I hoped on the internet and googled “Christian Reveiw of the book Women, Food, and God.” I am so thankful that your review came up.
What a sweet spirit you are and so clear on your review. I thank you for saving me the cost of this book. I would have absolutley have put it down at page 16.
Also, I think your response to Sandy was done in perfect Christian love but firmly pointed out the error of her way of thinking. I thank God for leading me to your site. I have not even looked around it yet but felt lead to reach out to you after watching your video. Now as I go and search out your method to overcoming this “life” issue I have. How true for you to say it is not really about “food” but life.
Thanks again Kim and may God richly bless you.
Kim McKee
Hi Kim,
Thanks so much for your comment! I think it is great that you took the time to seek out a Christian review of “Women Food and God”. Many, like I did, bought the book hoping to see the God of the bible in it – only to be disappointed to find him absent. My hope in writing the review was that people would know the author’s viewpoint on God before they buy it, then they can make up their own minds. I just know that to define God as “you” or as the universe does not make sense when you consider he made both you and it! He is so much bigger than that but the great news is that he invites each of us to get to know him personally through a relationship with Jesus Christ, through the bible, and through the circumstances of our lives. What an awesome privilege! I thank you Kim for affirming that I did the right thing in posting my review – I admit that I was nervous about doing it, but I am so glad I did. God bless you!
I have all of Geneen’s books and she is a wonderful inspirational writer, if you had watched her on Oprah, she and Oprah both said the term God on the cover was NOT meant in the religious term. She is using the term to mean the Universe. I am a Christian, my husband is a preacher, and I believe that we need to be open to all, is that not what Jesus said?
Hi Sandi,
I agree that Geneen Roth is a gifted writer. I didn’t see her on Oprah and thank you for letting me know that she meant “universe” instead of God in the title “Women Food and God”. But that brings up another question: Why did she not use “Women Food and Universe” as the title if that is what she meant?
As Christians, you and I both know that God is bigger than the universe. So that is a misleading definition since God was the one who created the universe in the first place. It is the same as in the quote from the book in which she says, “God has been here. She is you.” I think you and I both also agree that we are not God. God created us so how can we be him?
To me, that is the same as if I created a cake then someone else comes along and says that I am the cake. No, I am not the cake. I am more than the cake. Do you see what I mean?
Sandi, I am not a preacher’s wife. I am however a believer that the bible is God’s word and the source of truth. You asked, “I believe that we need to be open to all, is that not what Jesus said?”
No, I don’t recall Jesus saying that in the bible. If I am wrong, then please reply and let me know the scripture reference; I will stand corrected.
Jesus did say, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31)
I can love a person, but that does not mean that I have to be open to every person’s teaching, especially if it contradicts what the bible says is true.
In addition, the bible advises: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.” (1 John 4:1-2)
Geneen Roth’s false definition of God as the universe or as me (or whoever her reader is), her openness that it is okay to deny there is a God or worship many gods led me to decide not to open my mind to her teaching.
I do understand that others may draw a different conclusion.
Kim
Hi Kim,
I really appreciate your review and comments on Geneen Roths book too. I did read most of it, with discernment and caution. The thing the Lord showed to me was from the verse about how a little leaven leavens the whole lump. The verse is in reference to pharisees and false teachers. The way the Lord taught me was by bringing back a memory of when I have baked bread. Never have I seen yeast only raise a portion of the lump of dough, but it raises it all as it spreads thru the whole dough. The same is with false teachings, it spreads like yeast and inflitrates all areas of your life and mindset, even if you don’t know it or see it or discern it.
For a short time I was part of another online site for overeating and I really seemed to enjoy it and learn some good tips. However the leader promoted a type of meditation that asked you to empty your mind and allow her to guide you to your new life as a thin person. When I spoke with her about it, she said that understood my concerns and that I didn’t have to particpate in that aspect of the program.
Then at a later time she started a book club to be held by telecast. The name of the book was “Why good people do bad things.” It was so steeped in new age and making yourself into god basically that I confronted her once more. Even though she claimed to be a Christian, she saw no harm in entertaining new age tools to help people and that if it was only Christian beliefs it would offend and turn away many others. I shared the yeast truth. She then bumped me off her forum.
So I steer clear of new age and half truths. Why would we settle for that when we have found the pure truth.
Thank you for all you do to share the truth in such loving ways.
Mimi Maher
Mimi, I completely agree with your viewpoint. Your bread/yeast analogy is a perfect illustration as to what can happen when believers entertain false teaching.
To me, one of the saddest books in the bible is the book of Judges. Once God had brought his people into the Promised Land, you see over and over how they allowed the cultures around them to influence them, turning from the one true God, and going to worship false gods. Then, when they would come under bondage, they would cry out to God and he would send them a deliverer. Once free, they became complacent and repeated the same destructive cycle over and over again.
I am putting this information out there because I think it is important for those seeking God in this book to know the whole truth about it. What someone does with that information is up to them. The final verse of Judges ends with a sad commentary: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
Kim
Thank you for the review. Like others I was going to buy the book because of God in the title. I thought I would be getting God’s view on emotional eating.
Presently I am on “A Journey to Self Discovery.” I’m trusting God to help me understand the root cause of my unbalanced relationship with food. I’ve gained and lost the same 50 pounds, over, and over, and over, and over….again! Well this is going to be the last time.
My focus is on God. I have a strong, intimate relationship with Him. I have strong faith. He’s done so much for me and I love Him. Why I didn’t consult Him on this problem I really can’t say. I just believed this was an area I could handle. I’ve since learned that without Him I really can’t handle anything. So, I’ve begun again. I’m in First Place 4 Health, A Christ centered weight loss program that focuses on the Spiritual, Mental, Emotional, and Physical parts of our being. I’m doing the Bible Study, “God’s Purpose For You” with the group. It’s an awesome program! I’m spending time at His feet, reading His Word, listening to Him, praising Him, and talking to Him. I am determined that this will be the last time I will fight this particular battle because I’m going in God’s strength and with His help. I truly believe that no weapon formed against me will prosper.
I believe this is a God ordained connection. I was watching the book on EBay but didn’t bid because I wanted to check the store price. I went to B&N and read only one review – yours. Why my eye was drawn there only God can say. You mentioned your website and I checked it out. I’ve been reading the articles. I’ve been encouraged, blessed, and strengthened to continue on. It helps knowing I’m not alone and that others have gone before me successfully.
Thank You, Abba Father for Your timing and for this Divine connection. God bless you Kim!
Hi Leisa,
I’ve been on vacation and was trying to respond to posts on my website before I left and discovered that I missed yours. I am so sorry! Thank you so much for your post. Your determination and love for God is obvious and I am confident that you will have the victory. In fact you have it already. Just don’t give up! I have heard great things about the “First Place” program and I know it is helpful to have others supporting you in your weight loss journey. I applaud any program that uses the word of God as the basis for it.
Wow, that is amazing that you found my review on Barnes and Noble’s site! When I wrote it, I was like #112 and I was sure nobody would ever find it. The fact that you did is a miracle. But we know that with God, all things are possible.
Thanks again and stay blessed, sister!
Kim
Hi, Kim! I’m writing from Taguatinga-DF-Brazil. It’s so curious that the problems with our bodies, is the same at everywhere! Here, be fat is a shame, is a big problem! I’m very happy ’cause I found your comments under the Geneen Roth’s video and here I am. God is So GREAT!! I’m fighting with my body, my belly, my life, at all. But my hope is in my Saviour Jesus, I’m waiting for His salvation of a lot matters in my way. He knows me, deeper!! I’m alive today, because HE has mercy for me!! I want to serve Him all my days and I want to win my fight with emotional hunger. He yet help me to lose 38 Kg during 1 year; but the sadness from my conjugal life has take me to depression and illness. Well, I’m praying for freedom, victory and health. I know my REDEEMER lives and He will give me the perfect love, joy and a healthy body, like I was next last year. Thanks a lot for your decision of be a real witness from God’s Truth!!! Allelluia!!!!!!!!!!!! A hug from Brazil.
Hi Keila,
Thanks for your post. I hope that you receive the message that even though man may judge you from your outside, God never will! He loves and accepts you as you are. He promises that he has begun a good work in you and will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. I will certainly keep you in my prayers. You have the victory as long as you recognize your righteousness in Christ. Walk in your true identity and you will be healed!
Kim
I saw Geneen Roth on Oprah and bought the last copy of the book available that same weekend. As I began to read it, I came to the same conclusion that you did, Kim. And I almost took the book back to get a refund! How could someone include “God” in her book title and then say it doesn’t matter if you believe in one god, many gods, or don’t believe in Him at all? But “something” told me to keep reading the book, which I am. While I fundamentally and spiritually don’t agree with Ms. Roth’s stance on God, I am gaining some great insight on my relationship with food. Kim, I’ve gotten from you and other spiritual leaders wonderful guidance about how to grow in my relationship with God and how to treat my body as God’s temple. But, as I started to look for my receipt to return the book, I was reminded of a sermon I heard preached many years ago–God can always use the devil to do a good deed! It’s my prayer that we all be delivered from the hold food can have in our lives and discern how God wishes to use our temples for His service.
Hi Karura – you’ve given me food for thought and I thank you for your prayer. I do appreciate your compliments but I consider myself a Spiritual learner, not a leader. All I am doing on this website is sharing what the Father is teaching me.
I no longer have my copy of the book and read another reviewer’s praise of it. She said that this quote is near the end of ‘Women Food and God’:
“–God has been here. She is you.”
I had to go to a bookstore and thumb through a copy to find it to verify it is in there and it is – on page 201.
When I read that quote, I got chills and not the good kind. I am greatly concerned. Many people who are reading it are emotionally vulnerable and looking for answers. Most of them do not know God personally. I fear that in embracing Ms. Roth’s ideas about overcoming food addiction, they will also embrace her ideas about God, which are false and destructive. I say destructive because in my own healing, I discovered that one of the habits I had to overcome was thinking I had to control everything – which extended to other people. In healing, I had to learn to surrender control to God.
Encouraging other people to think of themselves as God, while on the surface would seem to be a self-esteem booster, will only put them in further bondage ultimately. Life and your own character weaknesses quickly shows you that you are not God. You can’t create a single rock, let alone make sense out of the world. Freedom is found in having a relationship with the true God, who loves and cares for you. You allow him to do the heavy lifting as the Creator, allow him to perfect that which concerns you, and to have peace as his beloved creation.
In overcoming food addiction, I learned that it is critical to secure your emotions with the truth. The truth I live by and was reinforced in my own healing process is this: 1. There is a God. 2. There is only one God. 3. He is not me.
Hi. I appreciate the book review. I had also seen her on Oprah but was leery about purchasing the book because of some strange characters Oprah has on her show at times. I enjoy researching diet articles/books, but when they are not in line with the Bible, I prefer to not read them. Thanks again for the helpful insight. God Bless.
Kathy, you are welcome. That is my viewpoint as well. I’ve been thinking about the book’s influence a lot lately. My guiding reason for not reading past Ms. Roth’s “many gods/no god” statement is the scripture Psalm 1:1, which says that the man is blessed who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. A cautionary tale of this is the life of King Solomon. He asked God for wisdom and God granted it to him in such abundance that that was no king like him. It says that he was beloved of God. Solomon even wrote in the conclusion of Ecclesiastes that the ultimate meaning of life is to fear God (which means to reverence, respect, honor) and to depart from evil. And yet even the wisest man who ever lived failed to take his own advice; at the end of his life, he allowed the influence of his wives, who worshiped many gods, to turn his heart away from God. The many wives was an issue in itself!
So if the wisest man who ever lived was not immune to the influence of ungodly counsel, then who am I to think that I am? I believe that Solomon grew prideful and began to trust in his own wisdom. In the end, he was deceived and stopped honoring the one who gave him the wisdom in the first place. I never want to make that error – the bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:12: “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” I am following that advice by taking heed.
I would urge you all to give Geneen Roth’s book another chance. I have read the book in its entirety and I immediately began to reread it, Bible in hand, in order to find scriptures to go along with her ideas and suggestions.
I have a very strong faith in God and in Jesus Christ as my Savior. I also believe that the Holy Spirit dwells in us all and it is that Spirit within us that Geneen Roth’s book addresses. She speaks of the moment or perhaps moments in our lives when the world broke that Spirit and took with it our ability to believe in the Lord and in ourselves and we instead turned to food for comfort. She speaks of embracing our amazing, imperfect lives, and seeing the beauty in the world, but more importantly, the beauty in ourselves, the Spirit within.
While she does maintain neutrality regarding specific religions, please do not allow that to prevent you from the potentially life changing ideas she shares in this book.
Thanks Shari – I appreciate your viewpoint. The more information everyone has about the subject to judge for themselves, the better. Spiritual discernment must be our guide. When I purchased the book, I admit that I was hoping that Ms. Roth would write about the God who healed me of binge eating. The God that I’ve come to know personally as my Comforter, my Refuge, my Strength, my Joy, my Wisdom, and my Truth. He loved me enough to give me his word, providing real answers and stability on which to build my life. The God I was hoping to see in the book was one of power and relevance – one who has the power to change lives. And he has a name – I AM (Exodus 3:14).
But in Ms. Roth’s book, she said that it doesn’t matter if you believe in many gods or no god. According to her, you can take God out of the picture and her methods still work. To me, that is very telling about the importance she ascribes to God if it doesn’t matter if you believe there is one. When I read her statement I wondered, why put God in the title if you say it doesn’t matter if you believe in him or not? And if you don’t believe in God, should you pretend to believe in order to follow her methods?
I think my opinion of the book may have been different if she had not put God in the title. Then, I would have had no expectations and would have evaluated her ideas on their own merits. But having been healed by God of emotional eating, then I cannot maintain neutrality on the point of his identity.
I do give Ms. Roth credit for bringing awareness to the issue, but I was unable to get past the “many gods/no god” statement. It’s a risk that every writer takes that someone won’t agree with the message they convey. I am sure that there are people who won’t explore TBYT because they see plainly that the God I write and talk about who heals is the God of the bible. It’s a risk I am willing to take because I experienced his healing power for myself and cannot pretend otherwise.
So my review is really for those who might be in the same position as I was – hoping to see that God in Ms. Roth’s book and may be disappointed by that expectation when they get the book.
Hello everyone. While I too believe in one God; I have had a lifelong struggle with weight. I do not believe that this book should be completely shut down because the author is trying to encompass all people’s beliefs(making the book more sell-able). I am strong enough in my own beliefs to weed out her “god” info, but to utilize the information about overeating. I am continuing to read the book but using prayer in place of some of her more new age technique. The main focus is that you can trust that your body will tell you when to eat and when to stop and that we must stop hating ourselves and depriving ourselves as a means to making ourselves into a version we love. Ultimately, she is reminding us that we are made wonderfully and we can trust in the bodies we have been given.
Hi Lybarra,
Thanks for your post! I posted my review to help others make a more informed decision about whether to purchase the book. They might be like me…buying the book hoping that the author was going to discuss the role of God in healing emotional eating. But like you said, I too concluded that placing God in the title was her marketing tool to make the book more salable. I was quite disappointed by that.
When I read her comment that it didn’t matter whether you believe in many gods or no god, my spirit was grieved and wouldn’t allow me to read any further. It sounds like you are comfortable with your choice. Each person has their own unique walk with the Lord and ultimately, Spiritual discernment should be your guide.
Thank you for this! I just came from another website that featured some thoughts about this book and came away thinking it sounded a little ‘new ageish’. Glad to see you thought the same thing. The information you have provided here on your site has been very helpful and exactly the kind of support/information I’ve been looking for!
WOW….I saw a little of that show and the title of the book did catch my eye and I thought about going out to purchase it, but after reading your review…NOT! I was looking for scriptures for my journey I’m starting on losing weight and I too stumbled across your site and found some helpful scriptures and more. Thanks for sharing and you look GREAT!
Hi Roz, I appreciate you for stopping by. Thanks so much for your compliments. They really made me smile. Getting healthy is not always easy but it is always worth it! God bless you on your weight loss journey.
Thanks for the answer to my question! I had a feeling this was going to be the case; however, now I have stumbled onto your website and find it interesting.
Thanks,
Heather
Glad you found the review useful, Heather! Hope you enjoy the rest of the site.
Thanks for answering a question for me….I was wondering how the author was going to be treating the “God” part of her title. From what you write, it would be “god”, with a little “g”, which is definitely NOT what I’m looking for. And I agree that we all need to pray for Oprah. She seems to be a genuine seeker, but she never seems to be able to light in one place long enough to be found.
Hi Susan, you are welcome! I hesitated about writing the review, given that I’d only read a small portion of the book. But I felt that Christians who are thinking about buying the book might want to know the author’s viewpoint on God upfront. Then, they will be able to make an more informed decision about whether to buy it. As for Oprah, we know that all things are possible with God, so let’s continue to pray that she comes to know the One who loves her most!
Forgive the typo! I meant to use the word “buy” not “by” in the first sentence.
Be Blessed.
Hello,
I could not believe what I was hearing. And to think that millions are going to go out and probably by this book.
My prayer really goes out to Oprah. She seems to be really looking for an answer regarding her weight gaining issues. It also appears that she really wants to be healed from her past as well.
Let’s Pray for Oprah!
Hi Sandra, no worries on the typo 🙂
It’s been a few years since I watched Oprah but I know that she was featuring a lot of authors who advocate the New Age “many paths to God” philosophy. So many people are being deceived by that, but the bible prophesied of that very thing occurring in latter times. I do pray that Oprah come to know the one true God. And when she does, I pray that she uses her vast influence to testify of God’s goodness and faithfulness to the millions who watch her show.