The Documentary Thin: Television And Social Media

Television and social media keep telling us that something is wrong with our bodies. They are not good enough, and we have got to improve them. The way to improve our bodies, of course, is to buy their advertised products. Wigs, hair pieces, hair extensions, padded bras, diet pills and exercise equipment. Although we attempt to shrug off these messages, knowing they are designed to sell products, they get our attention. They penetrate our thinking, helping to shape our image of how we “ought” to look. Those models and celebrities so attractively dressed as they walk, could they be any thinner? For women, the message is clear: you can 't be thin enough. The men 's message: you cannot be strong enough. Man or women, your body is not good enough. It needs to be shaped into something that it is not. It sags, where it needs to be firm. It bulges where it should be smooth. It sticks out, where it should

In the United States, it is estimated that five million people suffer from eating disorders, and as many as one in seven women with anorexia will die from the illness.1 The documentary Thin is a documentary about four women with anorexia or bulimia. The documentary takes place in the residential facility in The Renfrew Center in Coconut Creek, Florida. Alisa 's, Brittany 's, Polly 's and Shelly 's emotional journey in the eating disorder facility is displayed. This documentary gives us an insight on the daily treatment these women receive and their personal experience. From the early morning weigh ins, one on one and group therapy sessions, emotional meal times, relationship with food, interpersonal relationships with the Renfrew staff, and relationships with family members and other women in the facility. Through their journey with an eating disorder, we are able to see the women struggle while receiving treatment, and we find that some women will do anything to recover, and others relapse and sabotage their