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Eating Disorders on Film
Contributor: Courtney Howard, B.A., Executive Assistant at Eating Disorder Hope and Addiction Hope
Eating disorders are incredibly misunderstood by much of the population. Marti Noxon, a prominent television writer who personally battled anorexia nervosa, recognized this and saw a great need for more authentic portrayals of eating disorders on film. This paved the way the production of To the Bone, a dark comedy centered around a young woman’s recovery from anorexia nervosa, set to release in 2017.
Written and directed by Noxon, To the Bone stars Lily Collins as the young woman in recovery and Keanu Reeves as her doctor. The cast of the film recently participated in a PSA in conjunction with World Eating Disorders Action Day called “The Nine Truths About Eating Disorders.” This activism and the release of the film are sure to benefit the eating disorder community, as mainstream films can have such an impact on society’s views of eating disorders and chip away at the stigma surrounding them.
Past Film Depictions of Eating Disorders
Many film and television depictions actually feed into public misunderstanding of eating disorders by perpetuating myths or stereotypes associated with these complex mental health conditions. Sometimes eating disorders are trivialized on film and joked about, as is often seen in teen movies. They are also often represented in a way that glamorizes them or perpetuates the myth that eating disorders are a choice.
However, there have been many solid made-for-television movies since the 1990s that have done a good job of representing eating disorders. For the Love of Nancy, starring Tracey Gold, came out in 1994 and featured a young college student’s battle with anorexia as her father fights to obtain guardianship and force her into treatment.
This film shows the impact eating disorders have on family dynamics, as well as the reality that so many individuals with eating disorders are not yet ready to get help. Gold was able to draw from her own personal struggles with anorexia in developing the character, which no doubt increased the authenticity of her performance and the film as a whole.
Hunger Point is a television movie that came out in 2003 starring Christina Hendricks and Susan May Pratt as sisters of a well-intentioned but food and body-shaming mother. One of the sisters develops anorexia and is placed in a treatment center. The movie successfully depicts the pain and all-consuming nature of eating disorders, as well as warning signs and red flags.
Modern Eating Disorder Struggles on Film
Recent efforts to depict eating disorders on film include Starving in Suburbia, a 2014 Lifetime movie that features a dancer already struggling with disordered eating when she discovers the online world of thinspiration. “Pro-ana” and “pro-mia” sites, which encourage disordered eating and weight loss, are so prevalent and incredibly harmful to the eating disorder community. It could be argued that it is beneficial for these sites to be represented on film. Awareness is the first step.
However, viewers of Starving in Suburbia should be aware that there are many “thinspo” images in the film, which often shows the lead character scrolling through one of these harmful sites. This could be highly triggering to anyone currently battling an eating disorder.
“Likeness,” which also came out in 2014, is an independent short film starring Elle Fanning. It shows the lead character’s distorted sense of self as she looks in a mirror, as well as the very temporary relief that eating disorder behaviors, in this case purging, give to an individual. Her negative feelings and body dysmorphia were managed for just a brief moment after purging before they set back in.
Despite the rich material in some older made-for-television movies, these modern depictions of eating disorders are often more relatable to those currently struggling.
Increasing Diversity in Film Depictions
Though these films have done a great job of raising awareness for eating disorders, there is still more that can be done. For example, all of these films indirectly reinforce the myth that only young white women struggle with eating disorders. It is now widely known that eating disorders do not discriminate and affect both men and women of all ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Also, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are generally the only two eating disorders represented in film and television.
Despite the improvements that can be made, we have come so far in getting realistic and sympathetic depictions of mental health issues on film. The success and critical acclaim of Silver Linings Playbook in 2012 proved that the public is ready to change the dialogue on mental health and that Hollywood is ready to facilitate it. Our hope is that Noxon’s To the Bone will have similar success and lead to more mainstream films highlighting the complexity of eating disorders and those they touch.
Community Discussion – Share your thoughts here!
What impact do you believe that movies depicting the struggle of eating disorders will have on awareness in the United States as well as internationally?
About the Author: Courtney Howard is the Executive Assistant for Eating Disorder Hope and Addiction Hope. She graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. from San Diego State University, holds a paralegal certificate in Family Law, and is a Certified Domestic Violence Advocate. After obtaining her certification as a life coach, Courtney launched Lionheart Eating Disorder Recovery Coaching in 2015 and continues to be a passionate advocate for awareness and recovery.
The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of eating disorders. These are not necessarily the views of Eating Disorder Hope, but an effort to offer discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.
We at Eating Disorder Hope understand that eating disorders result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.
Last Updated & Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on July 21, 2016
Published on EatingDisorderHope.com
The EatingDisorderHope.com editorial team comprises experienced writers, editors, and medical reviewers specializing in eating disorders, treatment, and mental and behavioral health.
