Look Great, Feel Great

January 30, 2006
Beloved Bible teacher and prolific author Meyer blends self-help with Scripture in this peppy guide to getting fit. You wouldn't want to attend a church with chipped paint or threadbare carpeting, says Meyer, so by the same token, your body, the temple of the Holy Spirit, should be well cared for. After rehearsing her autobiography (a classic conversion narrative in which Meyer had a "poor relationship" with her body but then saw the light), Meyer offers 12 unoriginal steps to healthy living. She promises that if you follow her instructions, you will learn to love your body; boost your metabolism by drinking water and getting lots of sleep; eat more mindfully; envision feeling "fit, comfortable, and happy"; exercise; avoid fad diets; and even have a better relationship with God. The most important part of the book may be the epilogue, which addresses the rising rate of childhood obesity. Occasionally, Meyer seems out of touch with reality. For example, she says that one of the main reasons people fail to care for their bodies is that they are "pathologically selfless," so caught up in altruistic deeds that they forget to care for themselves. All in all, there's nothing here that hasn't been said many times before.

It's okay to be fit and take care of your appearance, says the TV evangelist in a soft and intimate audio. Though she never leaves her Christian moorings, Meyer pushes the culture's boundaries between mind and body by reminding people that stress, neglecting oneself, and negative attitudes can be devastating to one's health over time. Though this advice is standard fare in the personal growth genre, it might lighten up people who push themselves to help others, or who never think that attending to their own needs is part of God's plan. After the author's gravelly introduction, Pat Lentz's reading will sound like music to listeners' ears. T.W. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine