Young Ever Williams hears a negative voice every day in her head, telling her just how fat and disgusting she is. Ever is the heroine of Skinny, Donna Cooner's new novel for young adults and "Skinny" is the name she gives that awful voice. Navigating high school is difficult for most kids, but Ever has an additional challenge: She weighs 300 pounds. Her classmates taunt her cruelly, and the boy she likes ignores her.

Even members of Ever's family don't appear to be all that interested in her and her struggles. They don't provide much comfort and support for her. Ever apologizes for the very space she occupies because of her weight, and like many who struggle with obesity, she tries every possible diet in an effort to be thin, so sure that being smaller is the only real way to happiness.

Ever reaches a crisis point at a school ceremony she's there to receive an award, and onstage, in front of her entire class, her chair breaks under her, and she crashes to the ground. Full disclosure: I've been there. I felt for Ever when that happened, because I too have broken furniture publicly, and I know all too well the horrible feeling of shame and the nasty comments people make.

This humiliating moment spurs Ever to look into weight loss surgery, which I have some perspective on: Like Ever, and her creator, Cooner, I am also a weight loss surgery patient. And I understood Ever's decision to have the operation. But I was uncomfortable with how quickly she made it.

Skinny is Donna Cooner's first novel for young adults.

Skinny is Donna Cooner's first novel for young adults.

Ever's story is aimed at a young adult audience, and with the increase in childhood and young adult obesity, weight loss surgery patients seem to be getting younger and younger. But surgery shouldn't be the first option offered to young people, nor is it for everyone. Why? This surgery is emphatically not the easy way out. In fact, it's one of the hardest things an overweight person can do. I just don't think I would have been prepared to deal with it when I was Ever's age, or really have understood what I was getting into.

Ever's transition to surgery seemed to go far too fast she went from the initial doctor visit to a group support meeting, and then she had a surgery date within what seemed like mere weeks. It took me over seven years to arrive at my decision, and insurance approval for my surgery was granted through a program that took an additional six months. And what about ongoing nutritional, pre- and post-surgery, and mental health counseling? Ever didn't seem to get any. I'd have loved to see more pushback in the book from her medical team, and more of what's really needed to prepare for surgery and to maintain the weight loss afterward. And I'd really have loved to see Ever's parents step up to form a support network for their daughter.

Jennifer Longmire-Wright is an assistant editor at All Things Considered.

Jennifer Longmire-Wright is an assistant editor at All Things Considered.

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'Skinny' Starts A Conversation For Overweight Teens

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Julie Wright hCGTreatments / Diet Doc 888-934-4451 Email Information

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hCG Diet to Correct Common Dieting Mistakes Announced by hCGTreatments / Diet Doc hCG Diet & Weight Loss Plans

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hCGTreatments / Diet Doc hCG Diet & Weight Loss Plans Announces New Prescription Only Green Coffee Extract Diet Pills

Commercial weight loss programs may be just as good -- if not better -- than those that come from a health care professional.

A new study showed that people enrolled in Weight Watchers lost as much weight on average as people who were guided by a medical professional.

"Group-based weight-loss treatment produced weight loss, whether delivered by a professional or peer counselor," study author Angela Marinilli Pinto, assistant professor of psychology at Baruch College of the City University of New York, told HealthDay. "When people are in a group with others on the same journey, they feel there is that element of, 'OK, this worked for him or her, perhaps it will work for me. Perhaps I can give it a try.'"

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third of American adults - 35.7 percent are obese. An additional 33.3 percent are overweight.

The researchers followed 141 overweight or obese men and women, and assigned them to one of three weight loss methods.

26 Photos

One group got 48 weeks of behavioral weight-loss treatment led by a medical advisor. The Weight Watchers group was enrolled in the program for 48 weeks and were expected to attend meetings, which were led by fellow members who had reached and maintained a healthy goal weight. The third group was first given 12 weeks of weight-loss treatment led by a medical professional, and then were enrolled in 36 weeks of Weight Watchers. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health but all of the Weight Watchers program costs were covered by the company.

At the end of the 48 week study, the group advised by medical professionals lost on average 11.9 pounds, the Weight Watchers group lost 13.2 pounds and the combination group lost 7.9 pounds. Overall the numbers were not considered statistically different from one another.

One-third of the Weight Watchers group lost 10 percent or more of their starting weight, compared to only 11 percent of the health professional group and 15 percent of a group that had a combination program.

"The Weight Watchers group produced better weight loss than this novel approach [of combining peer and professional]," Pinto said. "Better meeting attendance is associated with better weight losses."

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Weight Watchers compared to doctor's advice in study

Commercial weight loss programs may be just as good -- if not better -- than those that come from a health care professional.

A new study showed that people enrolled in Weight Watchers lost as much weight on average as people who were guided by a medical professional.

"Group-based weight-loss treatment produced weight loss, whether delivered by a professional or peer counselor," study author Angela Marinilli Pinto, assistant professor of psychology at Baruch College of the City University of New York, told HealthDay. "When people are in a group with others on the same journey, they feel there is that element of, 'OK, this worked for him or her, perhaps it will work for me. Perhaps I can give it a try.'"

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third of American adults - 35.7 percent are obese. An additional 33.3 percent are overweight.

The researchers followed 141 overweight or obese men and women, and assigned them to one of three weight loss methods.

26 Photos

One group got 48 weeks of behavioral weight-loss treatment led by a medical advisor. The Weight Watchers group was enrolled in the program for 48 weeks and were expected to attend meetings, which were led by fellow members who had reached and maintained a healthy goal weight. The third group was first given 12 weeks of weight-loss treatment led by a medical professional, and then were enrolled in 36 weeks of Weight Watchers. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health but all of the Weight Watchers program costs were covered by the company.

At the end of the 48 week study, the group advised by medical professionals lost on average 11.9 pounds, the Weight Watchers group lost 13.2 pounds and the combination group lost 7.9 pounds. Overall the numbers were not considered statistically different from one another.

One-third of the Weight Watchers group lost 10 percent or more of their starting weight, compared to only 11 percent of the health professional group and 15 percent of a group that had a combination program.

"The Weight Watchers group produced better weight loss than this novel approach [of combining peer and professional]," Pinto said. "Better meeting attendance is associated with better weight losses."

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Weight Watchers compared to seeing a doctor in study

TUESDAY, Oct. 9 (HealthDay News) -- New research suggests that if you want to lose weight, don't try to do it alone.

"Group-based weight-loss treatment produced weight loss, whether delivered by a professional or peer counselor," said study author Angela Marinilli Pinto, assistant professor of psychology at Baruch College of the City University of New York. "When people are in a group with others on the same journey, they feel there is that element of, 'OK, this worked for him or her, perhaps it will work for me. Perhaps I can give it a try.'"

The research was published Oct. 9 in the journal Obesity.

Pinto and her team randomly assigned 141 overweight or obese men and women to one of three groups.

One group got 48 weeks of behavioral weight-loss treatment from a health professional.

A second group participated for 48 weeks in Weight Watchers, where the meetings are led by members who have achieved and maintained a healthy goal weight.

A third group got combined treatment. They first had 12 weeks of behavioral weight-loss treatment from a health professional, and then transitioned to 36 weeks of Weight Watchers participation.

Pinto said she chose Weight Watchers because it is the largest commercial program in the United States. It is also oriented to behavior change and included information on modifying the diet and increasing physical activity to lose weight and maintain the loss.

Pinto's team was testing the hypothesis that the combination approach would produce a bigger weight loss than going to Weight Watchers alone. Starting with the professionally trained leaders, she thought, would be a good jump start to the weight-loss program.

The findings were a surprise. At 48 weeks, the researchers found no evidence that adding brief treatment led by professionals, and then transitioning to the Weight Watchers program, improved results.

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Group Programs for Weight Loss May Work Best