Basta, Alè: A new Italian novel tackling body image

 ROME -- Basta, Alè: A Memoir of Body, Belonging, and Becoming is the new candid and courageous book by S.A. Sterling is a “must” for all women (and men) whose bodies do not conform to the standard model blazoned and acclaimed throughout the social media.

 With rare honesty and self-awareness, she recounts her sufferings as a chubby child growing up in northern Italy with a family of slim sisters and being subjected by her anxious and well-intentioned mother to a series of unsuccessful diets and sessions with psychologists throughout her childhood and adolescence.

 The book follows her journey across cultures and continents, dealing with her anxieties, especially about her weight. She describes the painful sacrifices imposed on her at mealtimes until finally, on the eve of starting university, she found the courage to say “enough.”  Her anguished outburst: “why can’t you love me as I am?” will resonate with all those who have suffered from the simple and often banal problem of overweight.

 While Alessandra was growing up, it wasn't generally recognized that the real causes of unjustified weight gain do not always depend exclusively on diet. Only recently has medical science begun to explore the possibilities of other factors, such as foreign chemical compounds (obesogens) in the body which are hypothesised to interfere with metabolism and energy balances and act independently of calorie consumption.

 S.A.Sterling is the author of the online platform “Women Rising Strong”, a monthly website of self-awareness and self-help. In addition, she has published a biography of Dame Sarah Storey, the Paralympic 19 gold medalist-winner: "Ride On! Dame Sarah Storey's Extraordinary Journey of Triumph: How to unleash the Power Within, Push Boundaries and Champion Excellence.”

Basta, Alè is available on Amazon.com

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