Obesity and mental illness cause a constant struggle in Dolores Price's life, and the social and behavioral aspects of family, social networks, socioeconomic status and behavior change play an essential role in health problems. that she endures. She's Come Undone follows Dolores and her struggles with health and behavioral issues from childhood, through adolescence, and into adulthood. We first meet Dolores as a happy, carefree child, but when her father leaves Dolores and her mother unexpectedly, her life becomes a downward spiral of anger and depression. Taking comfort in binge eating, watching television, and smoking after being sexually assaulted by a neighbor, Dolores constantly rejects the love and care of her mother and grandmother and struggles with social and behavioral difficulties linked to obesity and mental illness. When Dolores finally suffers a mental breakdown, she slowly begins to change her behavior to improve her physical and mental health. The role of family plays a key role in Dolores' obesity. Family cohesion, family adaptability, and family boundaries play a critical role in Dolores' health problems. Dolores struggles to take responsibility for her own health and refuses to see a doctor for a physical exam required for college entry. It ultimately takes a forceful act on the part of her mother, with "a steak knife in one hand, the hacked television plug in the other," which will only repair Dolores's beloved television "when and if [ you] have a medical examination” (121). Although Dolores insists that her mother must really hate her for demanding that she take a medical exam, she ignores the role of her mother and grandmother in the family, who were once the ones who encouraged and provided medical services. The clash between...... middle of paper ...... personal relationships with Dolores and causes even more damage to an already unstable family dynamic. As with Dolores, behavior change has also played a vital role in improving my personal health. Although Dolores's change in behavior occurs in several stages, ultimately it is a key event, a nervous breakdown due to the loss of her mother, the pressures of college, and the questioning of her identity that motivates Dolores to change her behavior. Likewise, my reckless behavior during my teenage years involving drug and alcohol use went through several stages, but it was one particular event that motivated my change. This paralleling of worlds made the book extremely meaningful as I was able to relate to particular situations and behavior change issues in a personal context. References: Lamb, Wally She's Come Undone Washington Square Press 1992