Maddie Topf

Dear David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding,

Behind every shopping cart, waiting in every drive thru, and sitting in every restaurant booth, you will find people. Of course you will find people. These people aren't just going with the flow of their every day lives like you might think, no, they're making choices. They're making food choices that can impact their lives in a major or minor way. The lean steak found in the restaurant could give them energizing protein, or the fast-food burger could make them sluggish and fat. I'm sure you know that your book changed lives. What you don't know is how it changed mine.

Before reading your book, I didn't think about what I was putting in my mouth. I didn't realize what those shakes and double cheeseburgers could do to me. Fortunately, participating in a variety of sports kept me on the other side of the growing list of obese Americans. I had no idea what I was about to become: obsessed with nutrition.

It all started during a long and boring spring break. I was at the library browsing the shelves of deep and descriptive pieces of literature. I remembered the list of 'Good Books to Read over Spring Break" we had made in school. Eat This, Not That was one of the books I remembered. I shuffled over to the computers and typed in the title. Checked in. Several page turns later, I had the checked-out book in my hand and a smile on my face. I was hooked.

Soon I was ordering grilled chicken sandwiches instead of crispy (a savings of 150 calories) and apples instead of fries. I became the family's grocery shopper, knowing what healthier food to buy instead of our normal grocery items. I gave my friends and family advice when we went out to eat. Sometimes people would welcome it and take my suggestion. Other times they would seem annoyed and explain that because they are eating out, they can order what they want, and they don't care how many calories it has. I just thought to myself: this is the reason America is fat.

Eat This, Not That has changed the way I think about food and nutrition forever.  Imagine how many people have used your book to get back onto their weight loss goals. Wow. I have nothing left to say besides thank you. Thank you for tackling the challenge to slowly make America a better place to eat.

Sincerely,
Maddie Topf