DEAR MEDIA: UNPACKING MAINSTREAM PORTRAYAL OF EATING DISORDERS
Written by Victoria Brown
Dear Media, Do Better.
For as long as I can remember, TV shows have depicted eating disorders/disordered eating, from Full House and Beverly Hills: 90210 to Degrassi and Lizzie McGuire. All of them presented the common theme that starving yourself is bad. They usually involved a character eventually fainting from lack of nutrition, with all being well by the end of the episode. But that’s just the thing: they were characters. Fake people played by real people.
What I think creates the most impact is when real people come forward and talk candidly about their ED and recovery. We love those people, and we applaud them for their transparency. Networks and streaming services have the opportunity to do so much more with their platform to assist and protect those who are struggling.
One particular example is Princess Diana. Diana towards the end of her life talked about her disorder as “a secret disease. You inflict it upon yourself because your self-esteem is at a low ebb, and you don't think you're worthy or valuable.” Season four of Netflix’s The Crown shows Diana (played by Emma Corrin) from courtship to Prince Charles to past the wedding. It also shows her struggle with bulimia. There’s a brief warning at the beginning of episodes, but overall, I think the show could have done better in depicting her eating disorder. She is seen as isolated and in pain, and the only solution is to harm herself. In her case, she unfortunately didn’t receive help and support, and there is no mention of the potential resources that are available. At the end, Corrin herself could have informed the audience that there’s hope and provided information for those struggling.
Sometimes a few sentences at the beginning of an episode just isn’t enough.
The latest portrayal of an eating disorder is Spencer, the biographical movie featuring Kristen Stewart as Diana in her later years. This movie was perhaps the most accurate and harrowing portrayal of an eating disorder I’d ever seen. From her biographies we know her ED had been thriving for years, enhanced by the stress put on her by the royal family. For instance, when she arrives she is required to be weighed on an antique scale. Tradition states that the royal family must gain weight during Christmas to show that they were well-fed and had a great holiday. They are weighed when they arrive and when they leave.
You follow her through just a weekend and all that can transpire mentally for someone suffering from an ED, from the secret starvation and shame to the bingeing and purging. You see the emotional and mental loneliness that comes with not receiving treatment or wanting to receive treatment. In my opinion, that’s what you need to see–how incredibly hard it is to fight and how shameful and gross you can feel. While it might be triggering and hard to watch for some, if you are a loved one of someone in recovery I would highly recommend watching it.
In the 2017 Netflix movie To The Bone, Lily Collins plays a young woman who is reluctant to get help for her eating disorder. Collins in real life suffered from anorexia and bulimia and has also been a longtime supporter of Project HEAL. As a society, we’ve seen actors go through severe weight loss in order to portray illness (eg. Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club and Michelle Pfeiffer in Scarface). Collins did the same, losing a lot of weight while working with a nutritionist in order to portray anorexia – so much so that her fans started expressing concerns.
Lily defends her and the Director’s decision, stating, “I personally knew that this was something I needed to do to tell this story…to take the stigma and taboo out of eating disorders.” Even so, Collins’ character represents only the stereotype of what someone with an eating disorder looks and acts like - white, very thin, and affluent.
In reality, anorexia and other eating disorders affect people with all body types and of all genders and don’t have a “look.”
While in addition to Collins, other characters with mixed races and genders are represented at the treatment center, the main focus is still on Collins.
Some might wonder why Project HEAL partnered with To The Bone in 2017 if this was the case. Project HEAL does not recommend trying to lose weight, especially if you are in recovery from an eating disorder, and additionally wants those in recovery to trust their own judgment; if you suspect that this movie will trigger eating disorder thoughts and behaviors, don’t watch it. However, if you are someone just wanting to learn about warning signs and some ways that eating disorders can show up in loved ones, this is a great place to start.
As someone who has luckily been in recovery for years, even I was left thinking about the characters’ actions after the movie was over. Not that it gave me ideas, but it put into action things I’d only thought about. The director of the movie said, “My goal with the film was not to glamourise [eating disorders], 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.”
Although triggering, this film did spark conversation and served as a catalyst for Project HEAL to get involved with the media which brought awareness to eating disorders and promoted access to treatment. However, if you are not in a place to watch something triggering, it would be best to avoid it for now, and watch this video that the cast and crew made dispelling nine myths about eating disorders instead.
Lastly, in the new season of Netflix’s Cheer, two cheerleaders on the Navarro College team are meal-prepping. Totally fine and a good way to save time. However, the only thing they’re prepping is a watermelon. Their goal is to “cleanse” their stomachs of everything that’s in it by eating only watermelon because their practice isn't as intense that week. One of the cheerleaders is Gabi Butler. For those who don’t know, she is one of the most famous “cheerlebrities” in the cheerleading circuit. With 2.1 million followers on Instagram, collaborations with brands, and publicity, she has a massive influence on the current and next generation of young athletes.
During the time of the show, she was 22, barely an adult, and shouldn’t be criticized for her ideas of what’s good for her body. We don’t blame Gabi Butler for being misled. Who hasn’t thought about or done a juice cleanse or some other fast because you believe in the results? We don’t even blame her mom (who is in the scene) because she voices her dislike of the cleanse and tells them to eat. We hold Netflix accountable for not putting a pre-episode warning and post-scene statement.
I know millions of young women saw that and told their parents to go buy watermelon when they go to the store next. Did that scene add to the integrity of the documentary? No. Could it have been edited out completely? Yes. Without a proper “hey don’t actually do this; it’s dangerous”, kids won’t know the difference. It’s like anything entertainer and stunt performer Steve-O does; all of his shows start with “don’t try this at home.” Watermelon is great but only in a drink or as a snack in the summer, and we should not be insinuating otherwise.
I’m not looking for censorship. I’m not looking to shield children from showing them a harmful disease and the struggle of overcoming it. What I’m asking of the media is to do better. If you are going to discuss the topic of disordered eating, make sure it’s not glorified or encouraged and that you don’t perpetuate harmful stereotypes and narratives. If someone talks negatively about themselves or is self-deprecating, make sure it’s addressed and resolved.
Of the 30 million Americans with eating disorders, only 10% receive treatment. For the other 90%, I wouldn’t want them to be taking cues from a platform that doesn't offer solutions or ideas for help. Therapy shouldn’t be taboo. If anything in this social climate, therapy ought to be praised and embraced as sometimes the only viable option (if one has access to it).
The only solution is to start dialogue and raise awareness through accurate representation that captures the broad diversity of lived experience with an eating disorder.
Victoria 27, is a movie lover from Houston, Texas. She’s a Project HEAL ambassador and eating disorder advocate. In her spare time, she loves to read paperbacks at coffee shops, go on walks with friends, and write movie reviews on her blog. She’s still learning to love her own body the way God made it but being a part of PH reminds her daily of her worth and value.