In this time of industrial prosperity, it is a paradox that young women and men are starving themselves to death. To The Bone, a Netflix drama tries to understand this mental health condition known as Anorexia Nervosa. The central character in this fictionalized drama makes one final attempt to overcome her eating disorder by entering a group recovery home. While viewed as a controversial method of treatment, what emerges and appears to define the basis for the character’s struggle revolves around a dysfunctional family and a traumatic event in her life that engenders guilt and self-loathing. Loving and accepting herself and the faults of those around her is the core to her recovery. While it can be argued that this analysis is somewhat simplistic and there never is a one-to-one correlation between underlying issues and emerging symptomatology, this drama does get the conversation going.

Over the years a number of Eating Disorders have emerged, including Binge Eating, Bulimia Nervosa and Anorexia Nervosa. Anorexia Nervosa is characterized by abnormally low body weight due to extreme dieting, an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted body image. Those suffering with this disorder believe that they need to gain control in their lives through extreme dieting. While severely malnourished they have a distorted view of their bodies, oftentimes seeing ‘fat’ on an emaciated frame. This distortion continues to drive the relentless pursuit of thinness. Families are oftentimes at their ‘wits end’ as to how to deal with what they see as the slow death of their child. Treatment is slow with many relapses. It begins with refeeding the individual, as a malnourished brain contributes to distorted thinking. Co-morbid with an Eating Disorder is an underlying depression. Once the individual is re-fed, the treatment can begin on the underlying depression and self-loathing. Practitioners believe that Anorexic thinking never goes away; the individual just learns to live alongside the disorder.

If you or your child is suffering with an Eating Disorder, here are some tips:

  1. Contact your family doctor for a referral to a specialist.
  2. Remove all mirrors and weigh scales from the home.
  3. Do not allow your child to become vegetarian. Seek the counsel of a nutritionist to ensure a balanced and healthy meal plan
  4. Parents need to be on the same page and strategize before meals as to how to manage your child’s struggle around food and eating.
  5. Educate yourselves and change the language at home and with family around weight, appearance and food.
  6. Contact the National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC) for resource support.

Alter, Stuckler & Associates are a team of registered psychologists and a social worker that provide compassionate psychological care. We have provided service to individuals, couples and families from Thornhill, Markham, Vaughan and throughout the Greater Toronto Area for more than 30 years. Have a question for our team? Contact us today.