11 movies about eating disorders

Films in which eating disorders are important to the plot.

Cinema is both an art form and a tool that allows us to reflect and make visible many of society's problems.

In the field of mental health, we see how many films have emerged in the cinema that deal with various topics, especially related to mental suffering and the different existing mental disorders.

In this article we will review 11 films about eating disordersIn this article we will review 11 films about eating disorders, a group of very serious disorders that have reached the big screen, especially two of them: anorexia and bulimia.

Movies about eating disorders recommended.

Following on from what we saw in the introduction, in the field of psychopathology, a group of disorders widely represented in films are eating disorders or eating behavior disorders (ED).

It is true that most films about eating disorders depict anorexia and to a lesser extent bulimia, and that few talk about other EDs, such as binge eating disorder, for example. However, if we think about the incidence of anorexia and bulimia, this is not so strange, 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 extremely high, and so are their repercussions, so it is easy to understand that these eating disorders have reached the big screen in numerous films.

Here you will find a selection of several movies about eating disorders (from different eras).

1. Shared Secret (2000)

Film directed by Katt Shea, which focuses on the focuses on the eating disorder (ED) of bulimia.. It stars actress Alison Lohman, who plays Beth, the daughter of a child psychologist.

Her mother soon notices how Alison is behaving in an increasingly demanding way. Things get complicated but as a result the relationship between mother and daughter grows stronger.

2. Black Swan (Black Swan) (2010)

A classic film 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, in the hand of its protagonist who, obsessed with perfection, comes to present symptoms related to this type of disorder.

The protagonist wants to succeed in the world of ballet, and therefore faces many obstacles, including herself. In addition, 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 depicts her own story and experience through an Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) associated with her anorexia.

Through the film, which is harsh, we see her suffering, as well as that of the people around her.

4. A Nearly Perfect Daughter The Best Little Girl in the World (1981)

This is certainly one of the first films about eating disorders, specifically about anorexia.

Its leading actress is Jennifer Jason Leigh, who experiences all the typical symptoms of this very aggressive disorderVomiting, obsession with intense physical exercise, the obsession with staying "thin" and not gaining a single gram of weight?

As a relevant fact of the film, also appears the doctor who takes her case, and who reflects on the large number of deaths associated with anorexia and on the weight of the catwalk models in the obsession for thinness.

5. To the Bone (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 the story of a girl, Ellen, who suffers from severe anorexia. suffering 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. is more of a documentary. The film, which has received very good reviews, shows us the serious effects of anorexia 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 center in Florida. This film does not focus so much on the TCA, but on its possible treatments and how they affect the patients.

7. Primo Amore (2004)

Italian film directed by Matteo Garrone and Massimo Gaudioso, this is a dramatic and erotic film, based on a novel by Marco Mariolini. The film differs a little from the previous ones, as it focuses on idealization and focuses on the idealization and male obsession with excessively thin women..

Through it we see how its protagonist, Vittorio, becomes obsessed by this type of women. He falls in love with Sonia, who is not the ideal weight for him, and so she decides to lose weight, although as a result the nightmare will begin.

8. Innocence Interrupted (1999)

Another of the great movies in which eating disorders play an important role is "Innocence Interrupted", starring Winona Ryder. The film focuses not only on eating disorders (both anorexia and bulimia), but also on a number of other disorders and/or symptoms of frequent occurrence in adolescence.

9. To Be Fat Like Me (2007)

As we can see, most films about eating disorders deal with anorexia, forgetting about other psychological disorders. "To Be Fat Like Me, on the other hand, deals with another eating disorder: binge eating disorder..

Starring Kaley Cuoco, who plays the role of Aly Schimdt, a pretty and thin girl who enters a contest to win money, although it is aimed at overweight people. As a result, Aly is ridiculed.

10. Hunger on the edge (2015)

Another movie about eating disorders is "Hunger on the edge". This time, this one focuses on the support groups that are born on the Internet to help this type 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 the experience of the film's protagonist, Hannah, a dancer with anorexia who is getting worse as a result of joining these chat groups, which are highly detrimental to her mental and physical health.

11. Bad Habits (2005)

Mexican film directed by Simon Bross, which explains the life of a family with different eating disorders. It is a a social critique of the imposition of widely accepted beauty standards.. In the plot, the mother is ashamed of her daughter's overweight.

Bibliographical references:

• American Psychiatric Association -APA- (2014). DSM-5. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Madrid: Panamericana.
• Madruga, D., Leis, R. and Lambruschini, N. (2010). Eating behavior disorders: Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Diagnostic-therapeutic protocols of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition SEGHNP-AEP: 325-339.
• Salinas, D.F. (2011). The media, beauty ideals, and the manifestation of anorexia. Zero Point, 16(23): 18-24.