Cinema is an art and, at the same time, a tool that allows us to reflect and make visible many of society’s problems.
In the field of mental health, we see how numerous films have emerged in cinema that address diverse themes, especially related to mental suffering and the different existing mental disorders.
In this article we will review 11 movies about eating disorders, a group of very serious disorders that have reached the big screen; Two of them in particular have done so: anorexia and bulimia.
Following what we saw in the introduction, in the field of psychopathology, a group of disorders widely represented in films are eating disorders or eating disorders (ED).
It is true that most films about eating disorders represent anorexia and to a lesser extent bulimia, and that few talk about other eating disorders, such as binge eating disorder, for example. However, if we think about the incidence of anorexia and bulimia, this does not seem so strange to us, since, according to the DSM-5 (Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) Up to 0.5% of the population suffers from anorexia (90% are women), and between 1-3% suffers from bulimia (in this case, also 90% are women).
The severity of these disorders is very high, and so are their repercussions, so it is easy to understand why these eating disorders have reached the big screen in numerous films.
Here you will find a selection of several films about eating disorders (from different eras).
1. Shared Secret (2000)
Film directed by Katt Shea, which focuses on the eating disorder (ED) of bulimia Its protagonist is actress Alison Lohman, who plays Beth, daughter of a child psychologist.
Her mother will soon notice how Alison behaves in an increasingly demanding way. Things get complicated but as a result the relationship between mother and daughter strengthens.
2. Black Swan (2010)
A classic directed by filmmaker Darren Aronofsky and starring Natalie Portman In this film the “central theme” is not eating disorders, however they do appear in it, at the hands of its protagonist who, obsessed with perfection, comes to present symptoms related to this type of disorders.
The protagonist wants to succeed in the world of ballet, and therefore faces many obstacles, including herself. Furthermore, she seeks at all costs the thinness so characteristic of professionals in this sector.
3. For the Love of Nancy (1994)
The film, a little older than the previous ones, tells the autobiographical story of American actress Tracey Gold, who plays the role of Nancy Nancy represents her own story and experience through Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) associated with her anorexia.
Through the film, which is harsh, we see his suffering, as well as that of the people around him.
4. An almost perfect daughter The Best Little Girl in the World (1981)
This is surely one of the first films about eating disorders, specifically, that deals with the topic of anorexia.
Its leading actress is Jennifer Jason Leigh, who experiences all the typical symptoms of this very aggressive disorder: vomiting, the obsession with intense physical exercise, the obsession with staying “thin” and not gaining a single gram…
As a relevant piece of information in the film, the doctor who handles her case also appears, and who reflects on the large number of deaths associated with anorexia and the weight of catwalk models in the obsession with thinness.
5. To the Bone (2017)
A more recent film, which we can find on platforms such as Netflix, is “To the Bone”, one of the audiovisual works in which eating disorders become more important to the plot.
It stars Lily Collins and tells us the experience of a girl, Ellen, who suffers from severe anorexia Ellen enters a kind of center where she will ask for help, and where she will be treated by an unconventional doctor.
6. Fear of eating (Thin) (2006)
The next of the films about eating disorders is “Fear of Eating”, although in this case It is more of a documentary The film, which has received very good reviews, shows us the serious effects that anorexia has on the physique and psyche of four women of different ages (between fifteen and thirty years old).
These women recover from their disorders in a Florida center. This film does not focus so much on ED, but on its possible treatments and how they affect patients.
7. First Love (2004)
Italian film directed by Matteo Garrone and Massimo Gaudioso, it is a dramatic and erotic film, based on a novel by Marco Mariolini. The film differs a little from the previous ones, since focuses on idealization and male obsession with excessively thin women
Through her we see how her protagonist, Vittorio, becomes obsessed with this type of women. He falls in love with Sonia, who does not have the ideal weight for him, and that is why she decides to lose weight, although as a result the nightmare will begin.
Another of the great films in which eating disorders play an important role is “Girl, Interrupted”, starring Winona Ryder The film not only focuses on eating disorders (both anorexia and bulimia), but also on another series of disorders and/or symptoms that frequently appear in adolescence.
As we see, most films about eating disorders treat anorexia, forgetting about other psychological disorders. “Being Fat Like Me,” on the other hand, addresses another eating disorder: binge eating disorder
Starring Kaley Cuoco, who plays the role of Aly Schimdt, a pretty, thin girl who enters a contest to win money, although it is aimed at overweight people. As a result, Aly is ridiculed.
10. Hunger to the limit (2015)
Another film about eating disorders is “Hunger to the limit.” On this occasion, this focuses on support groups that were born on the internet to help these types of patients although, as we will see in the film, these can cause real damage if they are not carried out by qualified people.
This is what the protagonist of the film, Hannah, a dancer with anorexia who is getting worse as a result of joining these chat groups that are highly harmful to her mental and physical health, will experience.
11. Bad Habits (2005)
Mexican film directed by Simón Bross, which explains the life of a family with different eating disorders. Is about a social criticism of the imposition of widely accepted beauty canons In the plot, her mother is ashamed of her daughter’s overweight.
