arquerociego

I overcame the anorexia

This book is model Nieves Álvarez’s account of her recovery from anorexia nervosa.

This book can therefore be classified within the didactic genre as a memoir and further categorised as an autobiography.

This is a single edition published by Editorial RBA Coleccionables S.A. in 2004, a division of the Spanish publishing group RBA, founded in Barcelona in 1981. The RBA Coleccionables division was established in 1991 and specialises in publishing instalment-based collections on a variety of subjects. This book is not available in English.

  • Publication date: 2001
  • Country: Spain
  • Pages: 176
  • Reading date: September 2025
  • Rating: 2/5

The author is Nieves Álvarez (Madrid, Spain, 1974–). She is an internationally renowned Spanish model and television presenter. She began her career in the fashion world in the early 1990s, reaching the final of the Elite Look of the Year competition in 1992, which secured her a place on the catwalk for prestigious haute couture houses such as Prada, Armani, Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent. Over time, she embarked on a parallel career in television as the presenter of the programme Flash Moda. She has now taken her first steps as an entrepreneur and in the world of cinema.

I stumbled across this book by chance in a second-hand bookshop in Madrid. It caught my eye straight away, as I work in the field of mental health and I’m very interested in reading testimonies from people who are dealing with, or have dealt with, issues of that kind.

I didn’t know who Nieves Álvarez was until I did a bit of research online, and her face immediately seemed familiar from having seen her on television. However, whether she was a celebrity or not, it didn’t matter to me when it came to being drawn to the book’s subject matter.

«But why do women have to be perfect to be taken seriously? Isn’t this just another form of violence against them?».

Nieves Álvarez

The book recounts the true, personal account of the model and television presenter Nieves Álvarez as she battles anorexia nervosa. It is a deeply personal testimony, written in a very accessible style, which makes it easy for the reader to relate to her story.

Throughout the book, the author helps readers understand how an obsession with losing weight can begin and how the condition can sometimes develop, linking it to insecurities, self-esteem issues and social pressure. In her own case, she explores her family’s social environment and how each member reacted to her anorexia, as well as the world of fashion and image.

«I think, moreover, that I wanted to prove I wasn’t ill, as my family claimed, because I naively believed that when teenage girls have a problem, they stop studying or going to school, and I was doing the exact opposite. I never went to bed until I’d learnt the whole test paper by heart, and I never left a single question unmemorised before an exam».

Nieves Álvarez

Another point worth noting is that I believe it could be helpful for people with eating disorders, as the book aims to offer hope and has a clearly motivational tone. Furthermore, it is a short, easy read, written in a very accessible style, which makes it easier to reach a wider audience.

«And they don’t realise they shouldn’t say that, that they don’t have to insist you eat a slice of cake. They have to let you eat your apple, because if they force you to eat the chocolate, you’ll have a really hard time. The worst thing they can do to someone with anorexia is to pressure them about food, but sometimes it’s unavoidable».

Nieves Álvarez

On the other hand, precisely for this reason, it is not a book that goes into great depth. If one is looking for a more scientific or psychological analysis of the experience of anorexia, I think the book may fall short. Furthermore, on certain aspects of the illness, I felt it was a little brief and lacked depth.

Nor does the book provide a comprehensive overview of the social context of the fashion world. The author focuses on her own experience and does not undertake a more sociological analysis.

In conclusion, Nieves Álvarez’s I Overcame Anorexia, whilst offering a relatively simplified account of the experience of suffering from anorexia nervosa, served at the time to highlight the debate surrounding the beauty standards promoted by the fashion industry and to question the influence these standards might exert on young people. It is a book which helped to raise awareness of eating disorders and which, coming from a well-known model, had a significant media impact. It is a book which, ultimately, has not taught me anything I was not already vaguely aware of, but which deserves to be read and recognised simply for its social significance at the time of its publication in the early 2000s.

«It’s true that you can’t eat; there’s something inside you that won’t let you. Anorexia is a religion in which you impose your own commandments and rules and follow them to the letter, because when you’re thin you think you have it all. It’s like being perfect; that’s what being thin is. No one could forbid me anything; I did whatever I wanted. I didn’t want to eat, so I didn’t, but I led the life of a nun. I didn’t have any fun; my pleasure was being alone, with no one to bother me and no food around».

Nieves Álvarez

Some reflections:

  • Do you think the fashion world has changed and no longer promotes a single standard of beauty?
  • Do you think beauty standards change depending on the historical period and culture? Can you think of any examples?
  • Do you know of any other celebrities who have had similar problems? Who?

Type your e-mail address and click on subscribe to be notified of new content!

Which are the latest blog posts?

Cambia el idioma a:

ESPAÑOL

arquerociego

,
, ,

Deja un comentario