"At the age of twenty-one, stylish and striking Ron Saxen turned heads on the street. A promising model with a tony California agency, his lithe and muscular body graced the pages of magazines and even the cover of a fitness book. He was headed for a future of bright lights and brighter possibilities-but a dark turn of events would leave Saxen working for minimum wage in a coffee shop and dodging his agent less than a year later. Binge eating disorder, a malady that strikes some 2.5 million Americans-40 percent of whom are men-led Saxen to gain nearly one hundred pounds, destroying his modeling career and threatening his health and sanity. This compelling memoir tells Saxen's story as he plunges into binge eating, dangerous starvation diets, drug use, and a rollercoaster ride of odd careers, destructive relationships, and personal tragedies-all set against a fabulous backdrop that ranges from the streets of Sacramento to the fundamentalist enclaves of the Great Plains. A gripping page turner from start to finish, this amazing personal memoir will help break stereotypes and shed new light on this common disorder." -- from book jacket.