With yesterday?s release of Netflix?s highly-anticipated film ?To the Bone,? there has been significant chatter throughout the eating disorder recovery community regarding stereotypes and how people with eating disorders are often portrayed in media, particularly as they relate to weight.
The film, which I found to be deeply moving and infused with the type of dark humor that people who have been to hell and back can appreciate, tells the story of Ellen (played brilliantly by Lily Collins), a sarcastic 20-year-old artist suffering from anorexia. An issue many people have with it is that Ellen, who appears  frail and gaunt, fits the classic profile of what most people envision when they think of eating disorders, particularly ones based in restriction. Written and directed by Marti Noxon (of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and ?UnREAL”) and based on her own experiences with anorexia and bulimia, it captures just one person?s story. And as the first feature film on eating disorders, it has the potential to start a long-overdue conversation on these prevalent but widely-misunderstood illnesses. The conversation is already underway, and it’s shedding light on an important point: Many people with eating disorders don?t look sick, even when extremely ill. I know this because I?ve lived it. I?ve battled anorexia since I was 12, and over the past decade alone I?ve worn six different sizes. But weight, sizes, and numbers are irrelevant and insignificant here?what...