Review: "The Tyranny of Thinness" by Céline Leboeuf

The Tyranny of Thinness by Céline Leboeuf
Published October 2026 via North Atlantic Books
★★★

Part memoir, part philosophy: In The Tyranny of Thinness, Leboeuf looks at cultural standards of thinness—and at her own anorexia—through the lens of philosophers.

In its simplest form, my thesis is this: Changing your physique—whether through diet, exercise, cosmetics, or surgeries—to conform with beauty standards will never bring you true pleasure or lasting happiness, despite the false claims by diet culture and the beauty industry. Only alternative ways of thinking about your body, combined with your own suite of practices for being in your body, will deliver the pleasure and happiness you deserve. (loc. 71*)

I went into this knowing that the memoir portion would be more interesting to me than the philosophy portion, and that held true. Leboeuf's background as an academic here shines through, from the format of the book to the philosophers she cites; although she does pull on some contemporary writers, her heavy hitters tend towards big-name philosophers (and feminists). I did appreciate that in her own experience she was describing an illness that was entrenched but not...how do I put this...on the far end of the bell curve; rather, it was something that I think will resonate with a lot of readers who have struggled with body image and/or disordered eating and/or eating disorders. (Though—as always, would have preferred that numbers had not been included.)

This will work best for readers with a bit more of a philosophy background (or a desire to gain a bit more of a philosophy background) who are looking to view weight-loss culture from a broader but different-than-normal-approach lens.

*Quotes are from an ARC and may not be final.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.