by Mother Love with Tonya Bolden; forward by James R. Gavin III, MD, PhD

Mother Love shares a personal and honest account of her battles with not only her weight and food addiction, but on her dependency to cocaine and alcohol as well, the devastating effects this lifestyle had on her health, and how she overcame them all. She details her path to conquer diabetes, and the resistance she faced when she tried to galvanize her family to take charge of their health. She also painfully recounts the untimely and unnecessary deaths of her mother and sister because of their refusal to take their diabetes seriously, and how diabetes was also the reason another sister had to have part of her leg amputated. Determined to do better for herself, Mother Love became dogged in her efforts to learn everything she could about the disease and how making simple changes in her lifestyle could help her manage it. She replaced many of the foods she loved with healthy alternatives, and she made the drastic decision to have gastric bypass surgery in an effort to shed the excessive weight that was hindering her day-to-day life. It was a decision that was met with indifference and disdain by those closest to her, both personally and professionally, as many cautioned that a thinner Mother Love might not be welcome among her many adoring fans who associated her girth with her persona. The surgery resulted in a weight loss of over 100 pounds and gave the “even more fabulous Mother Love” a brand new lease on life. Part autobiography, part reference guide, HALF THE MOTHER TWICE THE LOVE is an inspirational tool and call-to-action to every American who has succumbed to our national addiction to food and the resulting obesity and illness that can result.