Netflix movie accused of glamorising anorexia
A MOVIE about a young woman’s struggle with anorexia has been slammed by charities for ‘glamorising’ the condition.
They warn that Netflix’s To The Bone, starring Lily Collins, who lost a large amount of weight for the role, could lead to copycat behaviour among impressionable teens.
Critics say Miss Collins, 28, looks ‘alarmingly frail’ and ‘skeletal’ in the film, which will be released on the streaming service on Friday.
And there are fears her appearance could cause a new wave of cases, after pro-anorexia websites labelled the actress a ‘thinspiration’ when its trailer was released online. The trailer can be seen on YouTube and Netflix and has so far been watched by more than 2.2million. The film could also be watched by small children if parental controls are not put in place.
Some sufferers say the portrayal of her character, Ellen, as beautiful, cool and well-dressed, could make eating disorders seem appealing.
Esther Osborne, 35, who suffered from anorexia for over 20 years, said: ‘I am troubled by this film. Will it help raise awareness and get people talking in a healthy way about anorexia or will it inadvertently glamorise it and create an unhealthy, possibly even dangerous new set of side effects?’
American charity Project Heal, which advised on the film, said: ‘This film may have the potential to negatively affect those who are struggling with eating disorders. We recommend carefully evaluating where you are in recovery before deciding to view this film.’
Both Miss Collins, who is the daughter of musician Phil Collins, and the film’s director, Marti Noxon, have had eating disorders.
Miss Collins said recently: ‘This movie has the potential to... start conversations and take the taboo out of something that is so prevalent.’