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“My life was a circus and a comedy show by the age of three months: I was already the size of a one-year-old! I was hairy with big cheeks, big legs, feet akin to tamales and hands like over-stuffed pita bread,” writes twenty-year-old Alberto Hidalgo-Robert in FAT NO MORE: A TEENAGER’S VICTORY OVER OBESITY, a fascinating memoir about his life-long struggle with obesity.
The first grandchild born into his family in El Salvador, Alberto is showered with attention and gifts. Soon, though, he is known as “El Gordito,” or the little fat boy. By the age of seven, he weighed 120 pounds and his pediatrician had started him on a diet. By the time he was nine he had tried ten different diets. His life became a vicious cycle of eating to excess, sneaking food and lying to himself and his parents; he was the butt of practical jokes and teased by peers and strangers, ultimately turning into a recluse, addicted to food and television.
From the low point of his descent into obesity hell, Hidalgo-Robert chronicles how he was able to take hold of his life, recreate himself and become a model for other teenagers who are battling weight issues. A spirited tale of a young man who lost his way, this book offers a roadmap for living a healthy life and regaining self-respect and social acceptance. Each chapter contains “battling” tools, examples of both good and bad behavior and typical selfdeceptions in the war to conquer oneself and live a healthier life. He even includes easy recipes for delicious foods that will appeal to any teenager. This cautionary tale is for anyone interested in this country’s leading health issue.
ALBERTO HIDALGO-ROBERT studies biochemistry at Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, California. He is also the founder of an online anti-obesity campaign, Healthy Bert: No Child Left with a Big Behind Foundation. He lives with his family in Redwood, California.
ARTE PÚBLICO PRESS is the nation’s largest and most established publisher of contemporary and recovered literature by U.S. Hispanic authors. Its imprint for children and young adults, Piñata Books, is dedicated to the realistic and authentic portrayal of the themes, languages, characters, and customs of Hispanic culture in the United States. Based at the University of Houston, Arte Público Press, Piñata Books and the Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage project provide the most widely recognized and extensive showcase for Hispanic literary arts and creativity. For more information, please visit www.artepublicopress.com.