The documentary Dying to be Thin follows the stories of people struggling

with an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa and they
all have different backgrounds from being a young woman trying to punish her
parents by starving herself all the way to a supermodel that decided that it was
time to stop losing weight and be okay with her body by being a plus size model.
Anorexia Nervosa is shown with a young woman named Erin in the
documentary looking at herself in the mirror and writing demeaning things that
she thinks about herself using words such as “ugly” and “fat” when she is clearly
a good looking but underweight person. It’s unfortunate that the person that she
sees in the mirror is someone who is overweight instead of someone who is very
thin and slowly dying of malnutrition. To add to this, most people that struggle
with anorexia nervosa are often female and come from middle class or upper
class families and don’t even know that they have the condition. One of the
characteristics would be having a strong fear of gaining weight and even
overvaluing their weight. Another characteristic that people with anorexia nervosa
can include those that severely restrict the amount of caloric intake which leads
to them having a very low body weight which leads to concerning health
complications.
Complications of Anorexia Nervosa are very severe and can be compared
to being malnourished. The effects it can have on young people are stunting
growth and development, loss of lean tissue slowing down their metabolism, and
weakening of boss and loss of bone density. Anemia can also occur as a result
of internal organs suffering due to malnutrition since the heart muscles become
weak and blood pressure fails causing iron to diminish (Sizer & Whitney 2017).
Neurological functions are also affected as nerves start to malfunction which can
lead to insomnia and abnormal brain activity.
Bulimia Nervosa is another one of the eating disorders explored by the
documentary. As the documentary explains, it’s a relatively new disorder since it
was first medically recognized in 1971. A few of the proposed criteria for bulimia
nervosa include binge eating behavior, vomiting after binging on food, and having
a false sense of body weight and shape. Many people who suffer from this
usually try to hide it or deny that they have it. The mentality as the woman in the
documentary describes is how little food can she go throughout the day and be
“okay”. She goes on to describe the feeling when binging and purging as being
“strung out” similar to being on drugs.
Complications of Bulimia Nervosa range from an imbalance in electrolytes
in fluid due to vomiting and diarrhea can lead to having irregular heart rhythms.
Vomiting can also irritate the pharynx, esophagus, and salivary glands which can
lead to infection. The esophagus and stomach may also be at risk to tear (Sizer
& Whitney 2017).
 Treatment for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa both address an area
of concern which relates to food and weight. In the treatment of anorexia
nervosa, it requires a team that can include physicians, psychiatrists, and
dietitians since the psychological aspect of it also needs to be addressed when
developing a treatment plan. Cognitive behavioral therapy can be effective for
low risk people while formulas that provide additional nutrients and energy may
be recommended for those with higher risk. The treatment for bulimia nervosa
focuses on gaining control back on eating food and having regular eating
patterns while following a structured diet and exercise plan (Sizer & Whitney
2017). The goal is to maintain a steady weight and prevent a significant weight
gain and loss for a successful treatment. By having a diet that is healthy and
balanced and eating it at a regular time, someone suffering from bulimia nervosa
can make a full recovery within 5-10 years.

Works Cited

"Dying to Be Thin." PBS. PBS, Web. 11 Jul. 2019.

Webb, Frances Sizer, and Eleanor Noss Whitney. Nutrition: Concepts & Controversies.
Cengage, 2017.