Childhood Obesity Support

Many teenagers experience painful personal dramas during their time in high school with periods of confusion and self-doubt. For overweight kids like "Jimmy", these challenges are added on top of the discrimination that he faces based only on what he looks like and not on who he is. How great that Jimmy can find his own strength from the inside out!

The Fat Boys Chronicles is a dynamic book. This story inspires all of us to openly talk with our children about health concerns. This novel is a must for high school teachers and students.

Jimmy Winterpock is every teenager. Every adolescent has felt like Jimmy at some point during this tumultuous time. The difference is that Jimmy has one of the worst stigmata of adolescence—being extremely overweight. He faces ridicule and humiliation by his peers, and ignorance and apathy from his teachers. But Jimmy did a remarkable thing. With a nudge from his doctor and the support of family and friends, he found the courage to change his life. And soon after, he began to lose weight. Not through temporary diets but with slow persistence, good nutrition and exercise. In other words, his new lifestyle helped him achieve his goal. Jimmy is an inspiration to anyone who wants to make a positive change in his or her life.

It's rare a voice comes along in literature that speaks to teenagers in their own words. Lang Buchanan does just that with uncanny precision, taking us on a rollercoaster ride of the ups and downs, trials and tribulations, inner thoughts and insecurities to which the teen in all of us can relate.

Due to the complex nature of obesity we should not be surprised that there is not a clear one-size-fits-all answer to reverse it. For those suffering with obesity, weight loss is a challenge, but the battle is winnable. Just ask Jimmy Winterpock. While his solution may or may not be the answer for others, his motivation for change is paramount.

I laughed aloud by page 3 and had tears streaming down my face not too many pages after. Jimmy Winterpock could have been one of the many hundreds of young people I listened to over the years as a school counselor. The Fat Boy Chronicles should be in the hands of every educator, parent, and middle and high school student across this nation. Lang Buchanan--the author of Micah's Child-- hit home with this remarkable work.

The Fat Boy Chronicles rings true from the first paragraph to the last. Jimmy Winterpock--your hilarious and hurting teenage hero--gets your attention immediately with his sharp sense of humor and guarded vulnerability. Lang and Buchanan's instincts as teachers and writers make Jimmy's journal, and his journey, pitch perfect.

The Fat Boy Chronicles is a story told with humor and true insight into the world of an overweight adolescent. It reminds the reader of the real pains and joys of teenage life. Jimmy’s honest, straightforward journal entries make for a revealing, yet entertaining read. He is an amazing hero.