I would like to preface this section with a warning that this portion of my work contains content regarding mental health, specifically eating disorders, that may be triggering to some individuals.
If you are struggling with an eating disorder, please reach out to (800) 931-2237 (NEDA Eating Disorder hotline) or 1-800-273-8255 (National Suicide Hotline)
If you are struggling with an eating disorder, please reach out to (800) 931-2237 (NEDA Eating Disorder hotline) or 1-800-273-8255 (National Suicide Hotline)
My Global Studies Capstone project is centered around the topic of the glorification of eating disorders in the media. I want to investigate the presence of the social media communities for those with Eating Disorders that promotes and enables unhealthy behaviors. I hope to contribute to a solution that combats the unhealthy social media presence of eating disorders without depriving those suffering of a support system and furthering their feelings of isolation. I believe the ultimate goal is to take the power held in the media and redirect it towards recovery and the spread of healthy messages. My focus is also rooted in the investigation in the unhealthy enabling messages that are rooted in our cultures that have led media platforms to turn a blind eye to the role they play in these issues.
Underground "Pro-Ana/Mia"Communities
"Pro-Ana/Mia", short for "Pro- Anorexia" and are a term that has been coined to describe the communities and ideologies that are enabling of eating disorders. In these communities, these terms are shortened to 'Ana' and 'Mia' and personified, having dangerous implications given the chronic loneliness present in these communities. These communities connect disordered individuals, allowing these individuals to enable and provide "tips" to continue their disordered behaviors.
Social Media Response
Social Media outlets have been forced to question what they are doing to combat the enabling messages and promote recovery. On tumblr, a very popular media outlet for disordered individuals, you are faced with the following message if you search a 'Pro-Ana" hashtag.
Everything okay?If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, you are not alone.
If you are located in the U.S., contact the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) Helpline at 1-800-931-2237 for support, resources, and treatment options.
If you are located in the United Kingdom, The Beat UK is here to support people who have or are worried they have an eating disorder. You can find all of the support services they provided by clicking here.
If you are located anywhere in the European Union, you can find support resources in your area at Mental Health Europe.
If you need some inspiration and comfort on your dashboard, follow Post It Forward on Tumblr.
Everything okay?If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, you are not alone.
If you are located in the U.S., contact the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) Helpline at 1-800-931-2237 for support, resources, and treatment options.
If you are located in the United Kingdom, The Beat UK is here to support people who have or are worried they have an eating disorder. You can find all of the support services they provided by clicking here.
If you are located anywhere in the European Union, you can find support resources in your area at Mental Health Europe.
If you need some inspiration and comfort on your dashboard, follow Post It Forward on Tumblr.
Eating Disorders in Media and Film |
I investigated the portrayal of eating disorders in media and film to gain an understanding of the mental illnesses provide a glimpse into the manner in which eating disorders are perceived and understood in a variety of geographical locations and directed towards various audiences. This attempted to raise awareness on the manner in which eating disorders are glorified, but how some forms of media accurately capture the uglier aspects of the diseases. This video compiles clips from multiple sources depicting eating disorders, these are Feed (2017), Min Lilla Syster [My Skinny Sister] (2015),To the Bone (2017), Skins [UK] (2007-2013).
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Product
Prior to the global health crisis that is the COVID-19 virus, I had intended to show the movie To the Bone, which is centered around a young woman's struggle with Anorexia. To the Bone is deeply rooted in the issues such as the societal glorification and lack of awareness of eating disorders, so I felt as though it would be a perfect way to analyze the media portrayal and gauge the opinions and level of knowledge of the general public.
Unfortunately, due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, I was unable to proceed with my initial plan to show the film and host a discussion, but I was able to adapt my product to the new online climate. I had people watch the film from their own remote locations and asked them to complete a short survey in order to gauge their perceptions on eating disorders and whether or not they had been altered by the movie.
The media glorification of eating disorders is an issue with grave implications, escalating feelings of isolation for those afflicted, perpetuating harmful societal notions regarding body image, and lessening the recognition that eating disorders are fatal, and have devastating impact on physical and psychological health. To the Bone , as it touches on the significantly controversial and potential triggering subject of eating disorders, received extreme feedback on both extremes, high praise and scathing criticism, both from people who have struggled with eating disorders and those who have not. The film was praised on its direct involvement of people who have struggled with and recovered from eating disorder, the director and writer of To the Bone, Marti Noxton has said that the film was at times a direct and honest portrayal of her own struggle with Anorexia. According to Noxton, “Having struggled with anorexia and bulimia well into my twenties, “I know first-hand the struggle, isolation and shame a person feels when they are in the grips of this illness." The praise that To the Bone received was largely rooted in its ability to begin a conversation on eating disorders which are often surrounded by a cloud of stigma and misinformation, leaving victims feeling alone and at fault for their illness, and leads many who suffer to not seek vital medical and psychological help. Additionally, this movie illuminated on some of the uglier and very real aspects of eating disorders, such as the extreme and shocking repercussions on physical appearance, such as aggressively protruding ribs and extreme hair loss, and the extreme divisional implications that eating disorders have on the relationships of those affected. Noxton emphasized that "My goal with the film was not to glamourise EDs, but to serve as a conversation starter about an issue that is too often clouded by secrecy and misconceptions. I hope that by casting a little light into the darkness of this disease we can achieve greater understanding and guide people to help if they need it.” Despite some being triggered or negatively affected by the film and its messages, Noxton has spoken that her intentions were to be “truthful in a way that wasn’t exploitive”, and that she had wanting to give victims and survivors a platform and provide a truthful portrayal of her experience, without feeding into the toxic and glorifying culture around eating disorders and body image in modern media. The film's protagonist, Lily Collins, speaks on the fact that her portrayal of a young woman battling anorexia was deeply rooted in her own struggle with an eating disorder, "I’ve been very vocal about my experiences so it was important to me, it’s quite taboo even today to talk about it even though it’s becoming more prevalent. To do it in a film to make it entertaining but make it very informational is important.” Collins addresses the fact that even the film being centered around anorexia and the devastating implications they can have in people's lives is a vital step towards the representation and destigmatization of eating disorders.
In spite of its good intentions, there were multiple oversights in To the Bone that could have very dangerous implications for anyone who still has a very minimal understanding of eating disorders, and who's perspective would still be malleable. To the Bone's portrayal of eating disorder conforms completely to the widely and generally accepted notion of what an eating disorder should "look like". The film's protagonist, Ellen, is severely underweight, and receives comments constantly throughout the film regarding her frailty and her ghastly appearance. While this is truthful for some, many people who suffer from an eating disorder appear to be only slightly underweight or of an average weight. This portrayal, while maybe inadvertently, contributes to the notion that eating disorders needs to reach extreme, obvious thinness in order to be fatal and severe is misleading, and can invalidate a large portion of vulnerable people viewing this film. This portrayal of anorexia can serve as an 'aspiration' for many disordered and vulnerable individuals viewing the film, which can extremely dangerous, especially given that this movie is riddled with "tips" on how adopt and hide the behaviors of disordered eating. While Noxton had no intentions to create a piece of artwork that glorified eating disorders, Pro-Ana sites and blogs have been plagued with quotes and scenes from To the Bone since its release, indicating that while it has given a voice to some, it has resonated in a very fatal way for others and contributed to a much larger toxic societal problem. Another flaw in To the Bone's portrayal of eating disorders is its lack of representation. While it was praised on its ability to illuminate eating disorders other than anorexia, such as bulimia and purge disorder, which are rarely addressed in media, and are surrounded by even more stigma and ignorance than the already controversial subject of eating disorders, To the Bone failed to differ from many of its predecessors in a few critical ways. While starting conversations around eating disorders and their cultural stigmatization is unarguably of paramount importance, To the Bone is severely lacking in representation. The film's protagonist is thin and white, therefore she directly conforms to fetishized notion of eating disorders and body image, even at her most dangerously thin. This speaks on the very flawed societal diet culture, Noxton speaks on what the movie illuminated even prior to its release, "Lily looked like death‐warmed‐over during parts of the shoot and women would come up to her and say, “What’s your secret? You look amazing!” If she’d told them she ate a brick and it was agonizing to pass it every day, I think half would have said, “Which brick? Can I get it a Trader Joe's?” That’s the sad reality of our society right now, and so much of why we hope this film starts a deeper conversation." While this has illuminated a serious problem, it has done nothing to combat the widely believed ignorance that eating disorders only impact white, wealthy, women, which leaves many disordered individuals feeling isolated and invalidated, making them significantly less likely to seek help.
Regarding my survey, I had hoped to gauge the understanding and perception of an average human being that does not have extensive knowledge on eating disorders and their stigmatization, as well as they manner in which they were affected by To the Bone. Unfortunately, I was only able to solicit responses from 4 people, so I am unable to make statements about the knowledge and opinions of the general public as my data is not representative over a large range of ages or gender. However, I do feel successful in gauging the glorifying impact of current modern media, as the film To the Bone is one of the most significant films regarding eating disorders, and speaks very directly and truthfully ton the severe implications they can have on the lives, health, and relationships of disordered individuals, as well as the perpetual battle against one's instincts that many who suffer from eating disorders face everyday. As I have been extremely absorbed in this issue from the start of my research, I had failed to consider that many people, despite not having been severely affected by eating disorders or have an extensive knowledge of their impact, intuitively have many experiences and perspectives of their own due to the pervasiveness of issues such as body image and diet culture in modern society. It was also interesting to see how people viewed the issue of eating disorders through the lens of their own lives and experiences, one of the participants in my survey is a dancer, and they spoke on the microcosm of body image and diet culture that exist within the world of dance that I would never have considered otherwise. Despite the toxic and glorifying elements that the movie may contain, the extremely personal and painful experiences that were channeled into the making of this film, as well as the profound impact that it had on it's viewers, To the Bone sparked essential dialogue concerning eating disorders and their glorification and provided insight on the understandings and perspectives of its viewers.
In spite of its good intentions, there were multiple oversights in To the Bone that could have very dangerous implications for anyone who still has a very minimal understanding of eating disorders, and who's perspective would still be malleable. To the Bone's portrayal of eating disorder conforms completely to the widely and generally accepted notion of what an eating disorder should "look like". The film's protagonist, Ellen, is severely underweight, and receives comments constantly throughout the film regarding her frailty and her ghastly appearance. While this is truthful for some, many people who suffer from an eating disorder appear to be only slightly underweight or of an average weight. This portrayal, while maybe inadvertently, contributes to the notion that eating disorders needs to reach extreme, obvious thinness in order to be fatal and severe is misleading, and can invalidate a large portion of vulnerable people viewing this film. This portrayal of anorexia can serve as an 'aspiration' for many disordered and vulnerable individuals viewing the film, which can extremely dangerous, especially given that this movie is riddled with "tips" on how adopt and hide the behaviors of disordered eating. While Noxton had no intentions to create a piece of artwork that glorified eating disorders, Pro-Ana sites and blogs have been plagued with quotes and scenes from To the Bone since its release, indicating that while it has given a voice to some, it has resonated in a very fatal way for others and contributed to a much larger toxic societal problem. Another flaw in To the Bone's portrayal of eating disorders is its lack of representation. While it was praised on its ability to illuminate eating disorders other than anorexia, such as bulimia and purge disorder, which are rarely addressed in media, and are surrounded by even more stigma and ignorance than the already controversial subject of eating disorders, To the Bone failed to differ from many of its predecessors in a few critical ways. While starting conversations around eating disorders and their cultural stigmatization is unarguably of paramount importance, To the Bone is severely lacking in representation. The film's protagonist is thin and white, therefore she directly conforms to fetishized notion of eating disorders and body image, even at her most dangerously thin. This speaks on the very flawed societal diet culture, Noxton speaks on what the movie illuminated even prior to its release, "Lily looked like death‐warmed‐over during parts of the shoot and women would come up to her and say, “What’s your secret? You look amazing!” If she’d told them she ate a brick and it was agonizing to pass it every day, I think half would have said, “Which brick? Can I get it a Trader Joe's?” That’s the sad reality of our society right now, and so much of why we hope this film starts a deeper conversation." While this has illuminated a serious problem, it has done nothing to combat the widely believed ignorance that eating disorders only impact white, wealthy, women, which leaves many disordered individuals feeling isolated and invalidated, making them significantly less likely to seek help.
Regarding my survey, I had hoped to gauge the understanding and perception of an average human being that does not have extensive knowledge on eating disorders and their stigmatization, as well as they manner in which they were affected by To the Bone. Unfortunately, I was only able to solicit responses from 4 people, so I am unable to make statements about the knowledge and opinions of the general public as my data is not representative over a large range of ages or gender. However, I do feel successful in gauging the glorifying impact of current modern media, as the film To the Bone is one of the most significant films regarding eating disorders, and speaks very directly and truthfully ton the severe implications they can have on the lives, health, and relationships of disordered individuals, as well as the perpetual battle against one's instincts that many who suffer from eating disorders face everyday. As I have been extremely absorbed in this issue from the start of my research, I had failed to consider that many people, despite not having been severely affected by eating disorders or have an extensive knowledge of their impact, intuitively have many experiences and perspectives of their own due to the pervasiveness of issues such as body image and diet culture in modern society. It was also interesting to see how people viewed the issue of eating disorders through the lens of their own lives and experiences, one of the participants in my survey is a dancer, and they spoke on the microcosm of body image and diet culture that exist within the world of dance that I would never have considered otherwise. Despite the toxic and glorifying elements that the movie may contain, the extremely personal and painful experiences that were channeled into the making of this film, as well as the profound impact that it had on it's viewers, To the Bone sparked essential dialogue concerning eating disorders and their glorification and provided insight on the understandings and perspectives of its viewers.
