Mikyla Dodd - Playing the Fat Girl by

review live on show by Ro bennett 20th Sept 2012 This book is written by Mikyla Dodd who used to be known as the Fat Girl of Hollyoaks. I don’t watch Hollyoaks and have no desire to do so, so it’s not a book I would have bought or chosen to read. Rachael gave it to me and I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy it at all, but as I browsed through it, I decided to give it a shot and found it was well worth reading. Playing the Fat Girl is Mikyla’s story -about how as a girl she developed an emotional dependency on food and spent her childhood and teen years caught up in a cycle of binge-eating, gaining a stone every year of her life, to reach her early twenties weighing 24 stone. Despite this she fulfilled her dreams of becoming an actress and for four years played Chloe in Hollyoaks, in a ground-breaking role as the first character on the show who didn't conform to the skinny, model, glamorous, norm. The role brought her thousands of fans and letters from viewers who identified with her. I found myself drawn into the book. It was very honest and in some places it was heart wrenching. Mikyla’s father didn’t want her and the way he treated her was erratic, sometimes he was kind, but mostly he was pretty harsh. She grew in my estimation as I followed her struggle to be accepted for who she was rather than judged and rejected because of her weight and appearance. I gained a new perspective and understanding of those who have issues which cause them to be addicted to food. And I admired her as I read about the hard work and effort she put in, in order to overcome the stigma and prejudice attached to overweight people and managed to achieve her dreams of acting. Years later, she showed perseverance and courage in her determination to lose weight as she despite heartbreak, disappointment, tragedy and humiliation. But the book is not bogged down with angst and sorrow. It’s funny and frivolous in parts to lift the mood - and she obviously has a wonderful sense of humour. Mikyla also appeared on Celebrity Fit Club where she managed to lose 3 stone. Altogether she has lost 9 stone to achieve a healthy weight and has bought out a DVD called The Lose Weight Workout with Mikyla Dodd. This begins with her looking very overweight and uncomfortable, but finishes with her looking fabulous and comfortably doing the exercises with her personal trainer. The DVD also includes a section with her dietician and the food plan she followed. It’s a perfect holiday read - funny, warm and interesting.