About a week ago, I watched a documentary on HBO concerning anorexics forced into or seeking recovery in the Renfrew Center in Coconut Creek, Florida. The documentary tells the stories of four women who are "literally dying to be thin" and explores their difficulties on the road of recovery.- Brittany, 15, has a history of eating disorders since she was eight, when she was a compulsive over eater. She then ventured into anorexia and bulimia in order to gain acceptance from her peers.
- Shelly, 25, battled anorexia for six years before admitting herself into Renfrew. She has a feeding tube surgically implanted in her stomach, and has been in and out of the hospital numerous times.
- Alisa, 30, is a divorced mother of two, and claims that she did not admit herself into Renfrew for her own recovery, but for her two children. She comes to Renfrew after five hospital stays in three months.
- Polly, 29, has spent years in and out of treatment for both anorexia and bulimia
THIN is an moving documentary that gives outsiders a glimpse of the world with an eating disorder. It provides a greater understanding of their complexity, not just issues with body image and self esteem, but also the mental health concerns.
While watching this documentary, I was appalled at the lengths these women would go to just to be thin. I've seen diets gone awry, but never to this extent. After watching THIN, I have come to a greater realization that anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders are far more than a skewed body image, but a serious mental condition. It amazes me how a girl that is merely 86 pounds can honestly still call herself fat and be worried about her weight when she’s just skin and bones.
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