Recovery from Food Relapse Cycle: Making the 12 Steps Work for You

"John Kiernan's "Recovering From the Food Relapse Cycle, Making the 12 Steps Work You" is one of the best primers on working a 12-step program that I have seen. If possible, I would make the subtitle into the title. This former comedian has managed to take a venture most of us hate, (losing weight) and made it into a fun experience that can change not only our nation's health problems, but also our attitudes about power and powerlessness. I was amused throughout and reminded of so many great OA stories and slogans and John both reminds and confronts the reader that turning to food is never a workable solution to any of life's problems. I particularly liked his discussions of the "defects" or defenses which have kept us sick, suffering, and loaded with food. He helps the new member to find a way past their personal resistance and stumbling blocks by alerting them in advance about what self-defeating attitudes might loom up. He is also easygoing in style, sharing many of his own difficulties, generously providing personal anecdotes, usually laughing at himself. If I were still running eating disorder units, I would prescribe reading this book for every patient."

Dr. Judi Hollis, creator of nation's first eating disorders unit and author of Fat is a Family Affair among others.

John Kiernan was born in New Rochelle, NY in 1955. He grew up in the suburban New York City area. A child of two alcoholics who divorced when he was one year old, his formative years were spent in the depths of his parents' alcoholism. He became a compulsive overeater at an early age and while blessed with intelligence, could do nothing to lose the weight brought on by his disease. At the age of 19, he found alcohol and was able to lose weight for the first time in his life. Unfortunately, the alcohol quickly took over and within a short time he was a full blown alcoholic -- and also back to being a practicing compulsive overeater. In December 1980, John was admitted to an alcohol detox in Norwalk, CT at the weight of just under 300 pounds. In a short time, he found recovery in the 12 Steps for his alcohol problem and later he found 12 Step recovery for his food addiction as well. Since then, he has continually attended meetings. He has spoken at Conventions, and led Retreats across the U.S. and Canada. His focus of late has become Relapse. A survivor of Food Relapse himself, John tries to impart what he has learned over the years about what works and what does not work while trying to get abstinent and more importantly, stay abstinent.