As An Eating Disorder Therapist, I’m Concerned About Netflix’s ‘To The Bone’

The trailer of Netflix’s upcoming movie, ‘To The Bone,’ opens with a plate of food and a young, frail, girl tallying up the calorie counts of each item. Her friend laughs and says, “it’s like you have calorie Asperger’s.” The movie, which was written and directed by Marti Noxon and stars Lilly Collins and Keanu Reeves depicts a young girl’s battle with anorexia. It has already been met with a lot of controversy, especially within the eating disorder recovery and treatment community. I think that the creation of this film was well-intentioned. The director and lead actress both shared that they have personally struggled with eating disorders in the past, and that their aim was to raise awareness and to diminish shame and secrecy. Raising awareness of eating disorders and diminishing shame and stigma surrounding seeking help is crucial. However, as an eating disorder therapist in private practice in Rockville, Maryland, I have some major concerns about the way that anorexia is being depicted both in the trailer and in the press surrounding the movie. The Problems With The Press Coverage Lilly Collins, who says that she recovered from anorexia herself, has appeared in press interviews for the movie where she discusses how she lost weight for the role “in the most healthy way possible,” with the help of a nutritionist. It was difficult for me to even type that sentence. Saying that someone with a history of anorexia is a...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news