Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Gritty, up-close docu about overcoming eating disorders.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
What's the Story?
WHAT'S EATING YOU is a six-part documentary that follows adults trying to save themselves from life-threatening eating disorders. Cameras follow men and women who are battling medical conditions ranging from anorexia nervosa and bulimia to lesser known obsessive food rituals and compulsions. With the help of therapists, medical doctors, and dieticians, they attempt to confront their disorder, rebuild their relationship with food, and work towards living a longer and healthier life.
Is It Any Good?
The series offers viewers a gritty look into the worlds of people trapped by their dysfunctional relationship with food and eating. It also offers a chance to learn more about eating disorders and who develops them. The experts on the show underscore the fact that an eating disorder is a symptom of a larger problem, and that a person cannot be successful in treating it if they are not willing to confront the problem.
The series is a little voyeuristic, and scenes of people taking large amounts of laxatives, struggling to swallow small bits of food, and compulsively eating things like chalk and toilet paper, are often difficult to watch. But they are offered as a way of providing insight into what these people are going through, and are accompanied by important messages about recovery. Given all of this, viewers may be left wondering why this reality-doc is being aired on a network known for promoting idealized celebrity images that some would say contribute to the distorted way some people feel about their bodies.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about eating disorders. What causes the onset of an eating disorder? What's the difference between a compulsion and a disorder? How does the media contribute to a person's relationship with food and/or his/her body image?
Talk about who gets eating disorders. Do girls develop eating disorders more than boys do? Kids: If you suspect that you or someone you know has an eating disorder, what should you do? Parents: how can you help your kids develop and maintain a positive body image?
Talk about the people in this series. Why do you think they agreed to appear on the show? Do you think they are being exploited, or are they helping others by sharing their stories?
TV Details
- Premiere date : October 13, 2010
- Cast : Camille Mager , Julie Anne , Keri Glassman
- Network : E!
- Genre : Reality TV
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 25, 2022
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