In 2006, Lauren Greenfield followed four women as they received treatment for the most deadly mental illness - anorexia. The documentary that resulted, appropriately titled Thin, gives an intimate look at a disorder that effects up to 3.7% of the U.S. female population.
Thin is essentially an hour and a half of weigh-ins, family therapy, group therapy, and treatment progress reports. While this may leave viewers feeling weary and depressed, Greenfield clearly wanted audiences to experience the struggles of anorexia and to highlight the difficulty of recovery.
High fashion model Kate Moss was once quoted as saying, "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." This quote has become the motto of the anorexic community, which accentuates the cognitive distortions that go hand in hand with the illness. For this reason, family and friends play a large role in enabling eating disordered behavior or supporting recovery by setting clear boundaries and encouraging weight gain.
I highly recommend this documentary for the purpose of education on the behaviors, symptoms, and struggles of anorexic and eating disordered individuals.