Books and Movies about Eating Disorders
MOVIES
"DYING TO BE THIN"
This movie has aired on NOVA and is very informative, talks about everything from cultural pressures to physical effects of ED's &
treatment and recovery.






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BACK TO MAIN
"A SECRET BETWEEN FRIENDS"
(aka "WHEN
FRIENDSHIP KILLS")
Lexi Archer has just moved to a new town with her mother and sister after her parents' recent divorce.  She tries out for the volleyball team where she meets Jen, and they become friends.  One day after eating a lot of food, Lexi overhears Jen purging and asks her if she's okay.  Jen admits that she made herself throw up.  Lexi's volleyball coach had mentioned to her that she should lose a few pounds.  Together she and Jen embark on exercise, bingeing and purging and starving themselves.  And then some terrible
things happen...








STRONG POINTS:
Shows how an eating disordered
person can "influence" someone
else to lose weight by
restricting and purging.

One of the characters dies, which is a lot different then most of the "everyone recovered and lived happily ever after" plots you see in MOST made for tv movies
about eating disorders.

WEAK POINTS:
Lexi's make-up is a bit overdone in some scenes (her eyes are too dark, her lips are extremely blue...)

Also when Lexi hears Jen purging after they've eaten a lot of food and it only takes Jen a minute or less...yeah, riiiight.  Realism, please  It doesn't help that impressionable young girls could see that and marvel over how "easy" it seems...

OVERALL:
This is still one of my favorites!
I'd give it an 8 out of 10.
"FOR THE LOVE
OF NANCY"
This movie stars former anorexic Tracey Gold in the true-to-life story about Nancy Walsh, a young woman who developed anorexia right before starting college and who's parents sued her for "mental incompentency" so that they could keep her in
the hospital for her severe anorexia. 








STRONG POINTS:
Tracey Gold played this part very well, since she had suffered seriously from anorexia in the past it made her role more believeable.  She was in recovery but still quite thin at the time this movie was made, so they didn't have to use any funny make-up to make her "look" anorexic.  Shows how the stress of moving away to go to college can contribute to or even be the sole cause of an eating disorder.

WEAK POINTS:
None ~ this movie is very realiztic and the acting is very well.  It does have a lot of what could be referred to as "tips" in it, (the things Nancy does to hide her food, excuses she makes not to eat, etc) so if you are easily triggered and in recovery you probably should NOT watch this movie!

OVERALL:
I'd say this is the best eating disorder movie I've seen to date.  10 out of 10 in my opinion!
"SHARING THE SECRET"
Thirteen year old Beth has a lot going for her...she's smart, cute, thin, loving...but her child Psychiatrist mom fails to see the pain her daughter has hidden bottled up inside over her parents' divorce more than three years ago.  Pain which Beth deals with through bulimia. 








STRONG POINTS:
Presents the fact that bulimics can often keep their "secret" hidden from their loved ones for years.

Has a good scene where Beth is "high" after a purge, gets dizzy,  then collapses...and we see it all through her eyes. 

WEAK POINTS:
Can't think of any at the moment...

OVERALL:
I would say this is the most realistic made for tv movie about bulimia that I have seen.  I'd give it a 9 out of 10!
"HUNGER POINT"
Shelly and Frannie grew up in a home where they were taught that being thin was very important, and it could get you places in life.  Over time Shelly developed anorexia and Frannie, some disordered eating habits.  This movie follows the family (focuses on Frannie) through Shelly's sucide, dealing with their grief, confronting their true emotions, and trying to heal.








STRONG POINTS:
A large percentage of anorexics who die do so by commiting suicide, as is portrayed
in this film.

Portrays how growing up in a family that puts high standards on being thin can contribute to an eating disorder down the road.

WEAK POINTS:
We only see Shelly for maybe the first 30 minutes, the rest of the film focuses on Frannie and how she deals with her sisters' death.  Not very insightful, as a whole, on eating disorders.  Has a bit about pro-ana sites where Frannie says about Shelly, "Well, I guess she was PROUD to be anorexic".  I don't agree with that ~ I think it gives the general public the wrong idea.  Most people who visit "pro-ana" sites are looking for people they can relate to, people who struggle with the same behaviors and thoughts they struggle with daily.  Not because they are proud of it.

OVERALL:
Not the best.  I give it a 5 out of 10. 
I haven't read the book, but have heard
it's ten times better than the movie.