IT IS POSSIBLE to recover from an eating disorder.
That's a message that those who treat people with eating disorders are anxious to broadcast in light of a controversial HBO documentary called "Thin: If It Takes Dying to Get There, So Be It." Some consider the project, which aired last night, an overly pessimistic portrayal of what treatment can be like for women with eating disorders.
At times graphic, the documentary is riveting. Filmed at a Renfrew Center in Florida, "Thin" follows four patients through various stages of treatment. In one scene, a frail-looking anorexic woman with a feeding tube in her stomach describes how she uses the opening in her body to squeeze food out. Another patient admits to attempting suicide after eating two slices of pizza.
In one scene, a 15-year-old who dropped from 185 pounds to 97 pounds in a year cries as she talks about how much she wants to fit in with her thin classmates. Clearly, this was a girl who'd been suffering a long time. But her mother, who has her own food issues, seemed not to have picked up on how much her daughter was hurting.
In my column yesterday, I urged all mothers of teenage daughters, as well as those with friends with eating disorders, to make a point of watching "Thin" as a way of educating themselves and also beginning conversations about the disorders. It's the best take on the subject I've seen.
But although some activists agree that the documentary can go a long way toward increasing awareness, they fear that "Thin" may wind up actually discouraging sufferers from seeking treatment. As they point out, of the four women portrayed, none emerged cured. In fact, two were seen vomiting shortly after leaving the program or being told to leave.
"There was not one iota of hope when that movie was over. I think that it was very sad and heartbreaking," said Gail Shoenbach, a former Renfrew Center patient. "I felt like saying, 'Please don't show this.'"
Showing anorexics and bulimics engaging in destructive behavior doesn't help.
"That can make somebody who's bulimic want to do it more," explained Shoenbach, who, after recovering from bulimia, started the FREED Foundation to help other bulimics.
Yesterday, A Chance to Heal, a Jenkintown-based group, issued a similar vote of no confidence in "Thin."
"I think it's OK for people to watch it as long as they understand that it's not necessarily the whole story," said Ivy Silver, the group's co-founder. "I don't believe in censorship, but you should see it with open eyes."
The folks at the Renfew Center aren't exactly enthused with the film, either. On its Web site, the center distanced itself from it, stating, " 'Thin' focuses on the most dramatic moments. 'Thin' is only a snapshot of the treatment experiences of these four women - it does not tell the whole story.
"Many hours of film footage were not incorporated into the final product."
That's not necessarily the fault of filmmaker Lauren Greenfield. No single article, film or whatever can give a comprehensive picture of what's clearly a complex mental illness. But what Greenfield does well in "Thin" is illustrate the experiences of four individuals. Unfortunately, these particular women didn't have fairy-tale endings.
