Postcards from the edge- Part 3-Thin is not in

I watched a riveting HBO documentary called Thin last night. HBO is a leader in documentaries. Watch Methadonia if you get the chance. It followed a diverse group of women as they sought treatment for eating disorders. There was the mother of two who entered the army in order to lose weight, the 15-year-old Goth girl who misses her routine of binging and purging, the depressed and easily manipulated girl who can't live up to her twin and the rebel.

As I revealed yesterday, anorexia is one of those topics that intrigues me. I guess it's because I've always had the opposite problem. I love to eat. I don't necessarily love the weight I gain but I've never thought to get rid of that food through throwing up or using diuretics. My heart went out to each of these women as they struggled with their emotions and skewed perceptions. Most were under 80 pounds and truly felt that was the ideal weight for their body minus some pounds. How do you combat this irrational and destructive disorder?

The most emotional scene occurred when the 15-year-old was going home and stated her intentions to go back to her old behavior. Veterans in the group plead with her to make changes in order to live a productive life. Two things struck me while watching this documentary.

The first was the role of pop culture in shaping what is sexy and beautiful. If the advertisers and media weren't constantly telling us that in order to be successful and happy we must be thin, large breasted and rich, these gals wouldn't have a platform to dive from. Women are continuously bombarded with the message that we aren't good enough as we are. We need to lose a few pounds in order to get love whether that be from our parents or a man. We need to straighten and lighten our hair. It didn't help when the word "fat" entered the lexicon as a hurtful word that has latelybecome standard fare. Words and images are damaging; they'll put a chink in the strongest armor. Imagine what they do to an already fragile ego. It feeds the fire that says, "I have to purge."

I was also distraught to see that the reason most of the women left treatment early was because their insurance refused to pay anything further. How can that be? Insurance companies expanded their coverage for gastric by-pass surgery but won't expand their coverage for eating disorders. This isn't a condidtion that is cured in four weeks. We're sending the message that it's more important to help people through a medical procedure but not a group that also risks death and benefits through medical and psychological help. These women needed more time in treatment and were failed. It's appalling and illustrates the point that there needs to be healthcare reform in this country.

I left the film with a sad unsettled feeling. Their eating disorders will follow them throughout their lives. I was encouraged by their bravery but frightened by their fragility. Thin is an honest look at eating disorders and definitely worth watching.