In her memoir "Hunger," Roxane Gay explores the damaging lie that equates a person's worth with their body size, particularly affecting women. This misconception is perpetuated by a thriving weight-loss industry that promotes the idea that being thin is synonymous with success and value. As a result, many women feel compelled to conform to societal standards of beauty, often sacrificing their own well-being in the process.

Gay emphasizes the struggles women face as they battle against these societal pressures. The constant pursuit of thinness creates an insatiable hunger not only for food but also for acceptance and self-esteem. Through her personal narrative, she sheds light on the psychological toll this lie takes, urging readers to question and reject the notion that thinness equals self-worth.