Lately Netflix hasn’t been doing well (e.g., it COULD NOT be doing worse) in the realm of shows centered around mental illness. A few months ago there was the appalling series “13 Reasons” that sent the worst message possible to its majority young and vulnerable audience: “suicide is an option, and a good way to send out the message ‘I told you so.’” Uhmm. No. No. No. NOOOOOOOOOO. Suicide is never an option, never a solution, never a good way to send a payback message.
Now there is an up-and-comer in the Netflix Hall of Face-Palm. It’s atrocious name is “To the Bone.” This movie chronicles a young, caucasian woman suffering with anorexia. The movie is touted as a vehicle to “raise awareness” and “give a voice to eating disorders.”
As someone recovered from anorexia myself, I see right through that gigantic pile of bull feces in one second. This movie does not raise awareness. Far, far, far from it. In fact, I guarantee you that anyone predisposed to developing an eating disorder who watches this movie will experience added fuel to the eating disorder fire.
How does parading an emaciated young woman on the screen affect someone with an eating disorder? First off, for those who have an eating disorder besides anorexia, it sends the message for the 5 trillionth time that the only valid eating disorder to suffer from is anorexia. Which, by the way, is the LEAST COMMON of all the eating disorders. The second loud and clear message it sends is the reinforcement of the age-old stereotype that anorexia is only experienced by young, white, females. As a dietitian that specializes in working with eating disorders, I can say with absolute honesty that eating disorders–even anorexia—does not discriminate. It affects individuals of all genders and gender identities, various ethnicities and races, socioeconomic statuses, and ages. Additionally, by virtue of having an emaciated main character on the screen, it is igniting in those suffering from eating disorders a very, very strong fire of comparison. Anyone who actually knows anything about how eating disorders work (sorry Netflix, you've made it super obvious that this doesn't include you) knows that individuals suffering from eating disorders are very prone to meticulously analyzing their own bodies and their own eating disorder struggle and comparing this to others to see if they 'match up' and if they have valid justification to even suffer from this disease.
Another aspect of this movie's trailer which would be laughable if it wasn’t so asinine, is it’s review from Vanity Fair calling it a ‘humane’ movie. Oh, sorry, I wasn’t aware that Vanity Fair was the presiding judge on mental health and a positive portrayal of body image and body diversity. Sorry, my bad. Let me just step over and give Vanity Fair the pulpit on this issue.
Just watching the trailer for this movie makes it clear that the extent to which eating disorders devastate the individual as well as their family and loved ones is not portrayed in the grave and desperate light with which it is experienced in actual life. Eating disorders are not “ quirky and teen-angsty” detours from an otherwise functional life. They are serious diseases that have the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses. They can destroy families, empty out bank accounts, and can ultimately lead to death.
All that to say without even mentioning the fact that the main character of this movie is someone in recovery from an eating disorder in REAL LIFE. And they made her lose weight for the part by working with a so-called nutritionist. This is one of the most unethical things I have ever heard. There is actual solid research to back up the fact that the biology of individuals in recovery from anorexia who find themselves in a place of an energy deficit (such as that caused by dieting, attempts at weight loss, or even sickness) experience a “turning on” of eating disorder promoting genes which can send them into full-blown relapse. Any nutritionist (or registered dietitian) who is made aware that someone has a history of an eating disorder and still moves forward with supporting someone in a weight loss diet is defaming this field.