This Is Big

How the Founder of Weight Watchers Changed the World - and Me

By: Marisa Meltzer

Narrated by: Marisa Meltzer

Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's Summary

From a contributor to The Cut, one of Vogue's most anticipated books "bravely and honestly" (Busy Philipps) talks about weight loss and sheds a light on Weight Watchers founder Jean Nidetch: "a triumphant chronicle" (New York Times).  

Marisa Meltzer began her first diet at the age of five. Growing up an indoors-loving child in Northern California, she learned from an early age that weight was the one part of her life she could neither change nor even really understand. Fast forward nearly four decades. Marisa, also a contributor to the New Yorker and the New York Times, comes across an obituary for Jean Nidetch, the Queens, New York housewife who founded Weight Watchers in 1963. 

Weaving Jean's incredible story as weight loss maven and pathbreaking entrepreneur with Marisa's own journey through Weight Watchers, she chronicles the deep parallels, and enduring frustrations, in each woman's decades-long efforts to lose weight and keep it off. The result is funny, unexpected, and unforgettable: a testament to how transformation goes far beyond a number on the scale.  

©2011 Marisa Meltzer (P)2020 Little, Brown & Company

Critic Reviews

"Meltzer did a deep dive into Jean Nidetch, the Queens, NY, housewife who founded Weight Watchers in 1963, for a book that is part biography, part memoir of her own lifelong journey with dieting." (New York Post)

"[Meltzer] writes with a voice that feels like you're chatting with one of your best friends, cracking jokes and digging into all the emotions you'd usually hide from others who aren't as close to you." (First for Women)

"Her story will resonate with readers who have struggled with weight and body image issues. A straightforward memoir of struggling with obesity and finding inspiration from the founder of Weight Watchers." (Kirkus)

Disappointing

As a lifetime weight watcher member, I was really looking forward to reading this. Maybe my expectations were too high because this was very disappointing. I’m wondering if I would have liked it better had I read the book and not listened on audible. It was read very monotone, no life behind it. For a topic so vulnerable, I was hoping for more heart. Got the vibe Marisa is a “Debbie Downer”.

So relatable!

As a lifelong yo-yo dieter, this book really spoke to me. Thank you for sharing your story!

Excellent

This is one of the best, most realistic, stories I have read. I relate so much to the authors journey. I found that Jean’s story was surprising to me as well. I would love to read other books by this author.

The Whole Story

I really enjoyed hearing the entire history of WW (Weight Watchers) from the beginning to present day!

Great biography slash memoir addressing weight

I enjoyed the history of the WW founder and loved the honest take on weight and body image by the author. Felt hyper real, and a good deep dive into the realities faced by the repeat dieter and the overweight.

interesting story, not great narration

Was interesting, enjoyed the information presented. Writer should not have narrated, too flat and monotone like reading a book she's never read before, she wrote it so should have been more like she is talking to you, telling you what happened, like friends chatting.

interesting read

I like how the author integrated her own weight loss journey into the biography of the founder of weight watchers. made both stories more interesting.

Compassionate, well-constructed biography of Jean Nidetch combined with authors own memoir

Really enjoyed this book- it was very thoughtful and deconstructed past and present diet culture accurately but with compassion. What do you give up for dieting? What do you deny when you stop? Super interesting narrative and I really liked it.

Raw truth about dieting

I loved this book as Marisa shared the raw details of her struggle with weight loss. I also really enjoyed hearing about the history of WW and their founder.

a book after my heart

This book spoke to me, my body, my feelings about my weight, in a way that I’ve never experienced before. Marissa Meltzer is a beautiful writer. I can’t say enough great things about her book.