"Me Little Me": An Authentic Portrayal of Eating Disorder Recovery
At the beginning of November, I was thrilled to attend an online screening of the independent film Me Little Me! It’s a thought-provoking work that shows aspects of the eating disorder recovery experience not typically represented in the mainstream, making it an incredibly important film, and I thought I’d share a bit about what makes it unique in an effort to highlight all the ways society so often gets it wrong. Below is a list of the ways in which Me Little Me veers away from common – and highly problematic – tropes about eating disorders.
At the beginning of November, I was thrilled to attend an online screening of the independent film Me Little Me! It’s a thought-provoking work that shows aspects of the eating disorder recovery experience not typically represented in the mainstream, making it an incredibly important film, and I thought I’d share a bit about what makes it unique in an effort to highlight all the ways society so often gets it wrong. Below is a list of the ways in which Me Little Me veers away from common – and highly problematic – tropes about eating disorders.
I have done my best to avoid major spoilers for those who wish to see the film, but please be aware that a few minor details are revealed below.
1. The representation is well-done and important.
The fact that the main character in this film is a working-class Black woman, likely in her late twenties or early thirties, whose body is neither noticeably small or noticeably large, is in and of itself a rebuke of the same old, tired tropes. Mya is not the ultra-thin white teenage girl typically represented in media about eating disorders, which made me very happy to see; nothing against ultra-thin white teenage girls, of course, but the fact remains that they are vastly overrepresented, and that this overrepresentation leads to rampant missed and incorrect diagnoses for anyone struggling with an eating disorder who does not fit the mold.
Additionally, the diverse cast of characters is fantastic, particularly in the scenes at Mya’s outpatient recovery program. People of varying colors, ages, genders, shapes, and sizes are shown in the program, which further underscores the point that eating disorders can happen to anyone.
2. The portrayals of Mya struggling with her eating disorder are thoughtful and trauma-informed.
It struck me while watching the film that Mya’s disordered eating behaviors were not actually shown – at least, not in the classic sense. Other media portrayals offer no qualms about displaying these behaviors explicitly, often going so far as to hone in on all the “strange” mannerisms and habits in a way that feels voyeuristic – a borderline fetishization. All the portrayal of eating disorders behaviors creates a person who is unrelatable instead of a person struggling that we can have compassion for and even relate to the pain a person with eating disorders carries. Me Little Me does nothing of the sort. As someone with a history of anorexia, I often find films about eating disorders triggering in a tantalizing sort of way that is incredibly unhealthy. This was not the case with Me Little Me; the story was told in such a manner that the viewer did not need to be indulged with the nitty-gritty details in order to be drawn into Mya’s struggle and accept it as legitimate. This is a major breakthrough, in my opinion, as I imagine so many others, like myself, struggle to watch ED-related topics for fear that it may reignite harmful patterns.
3. Mya is the focus – not her eating disorder.
Just as with the respect granted in the refusal to document specific disordered eating behaviors, the film also refuses to reduce Mya only to her disorder. Instead, she is multifaceted and complex. Despite the characterization of Mya as a fairly guarded person who keeps others at a distance, she is nevertheless whole and real; we see her barely-contained excitement at having received a promotion, the discomfort she feels in certain situations, her attempts at dealing with loneliness, and a strong display of emotion when old familial wounds resurface, all of which serve to craft a life around her that includes her eating disorder, rather than a life that has become her eating disorder. This is vital, as it rejects broad generalizations and reflects the truth, once again, that eating disorders are a human issue that can impact anyone.
4. The film offers a glimpse into recovery that is less medicalized and more focused on the mental health aspect.
Much of the mainstream media about eating disorders delves into the medical risks and the long-term consequences on the body. While these impacts are undoubtedly serious, I’ve found less representation than I’d like to see of the mental and emotional outcomes. Me Little Me does a great job with this aspect in particular, showing relapse less as a medical danger and more as a person in the throes of what looks a lot like deep depression: unable to get out of bed, missing work, and withdrawing from the world around them. The film also points to unresolved trauma and the ways it can contribute to disordered eating, especially in moments when trauma triggers render a person especially vulnerable.
Even the setting of Mya’s home and the treatment center, with inspirational messages of self-love and acceptance written on everything from signs on the walls to painted rocks on the porch, points to mental health as a vital central focus in conversations around eating disorders.
5. The film offers a glimpse into recovery to include finances and real world realities.
As an eating disorder psychologist, I spend a great deal of time working with clients to manage the financial aspect of treatment. This includes writing letters for insurances, corresponding with insurance companies, and helping clients manage work and school loads so that they can participate in treatment. It is never easy and often involves negotiating aspects of treatment so that my clients can pay their bills. I have seen time and time again in mainstream films how people easily enter treatment with no discussion around financial impact. Mya is seen struggling to manage her work and her eating disorder treatment. She has to hide her treatment from her work and you can visibly and emotionally feel her struggle.This financial struggle is real for many people with eating disorders.
Everyone’s situation is different, of course, and no film will ever capture all the nuance of everyone who’s struggled with an eating disorder. However, Me Little Me does a lot for dialogue around eating disorders, and my hope is that mainstream media can pay attention to this beautiful film, take the hint, and – hopefully – learn from it.
Here is the website of the film and where you can watch it!
https://www.melittlemefilm.com
https://www.melittlemefilm.com/wheretowatch
Thank you Elizabeth Ayiku for your incredible work and determination to make this film a reality. I am proud to be a contributor to your film.
And thank you Project Heal for partnering with Elizabeth to support this film!
How Weight Stigma is Leading to a Less Kind World: Breaking Down the Myths Around Weight
They’re just lazy, unmotivated and they lack discipline. They must really not care about themselves. If they don’t care, why should I care about them?
These are some of the thoughts going through our minds when we come across someone in a large body.
And yet, we don’t know this person at all. As Marilyn Wann says “ When you see a fat person, the only thing you know is your level of weight stigma”. Also isn’t it also none of your business why a person has the body they have?
Weight Stigma is Rampant
Weight Stigma is prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of a person's size or weight. It’s a widespread problem leading to discrimination, violence, bullying, high stress levels, and unhealthy, disordered eating. Just like any other form of prejudice, it causes harm to those it impacts.
Weight stigma plagues our world. Over 40% of US adults report weight stigma and body shaming, across all body types and weights.
Weight Stigma also impacts children. Adolescents are bullied for many reasons. Tack on body shaming due to weight and it’s a rough ride. 71% of adolescents reported some form of weight shaming abuse over the last year alone.
It leads to eating disorders and other self-harm behaviors. Because there’s such a stigma and bias towards folx in large bodies, they are bullied, mistreated, and harmed. It leads to increased stress levels and suicide. The impact is huge and it’s disheartening.
Even their doctors assume the worst….assuming patients are unhealthy due to their weight without even assessing health behaviors. This type of shaming leads them to believe they are failing. They avoid return visits to the doctor. They feel ashamed and don’t want to be seen.
Avoiding doctor visits leads to even worse health outcomes including death. This is not an ethical way of helping individuals.
There has to be a better way. We need to unpack and rethink how we view bodies. Weight isn’t an indicator of health. Nor is it a holistic way of viewing health.
Let’s start by debunking some myths about weight.
Myth One: Weight is an Accurate Measure of Health
alone, it’s only one number to be considered when evaluating a patient.
Researchers found “no clear relationship between weight loss and health outcomes.” Shedding weight doesn’t meaningfully lower blood pressure, diabetes risk, or cholesterol.
Instead of obsessing about one number, weight, we should be encouraging nourishing and connecting behaviors instead.
Encouraging patients, friends, and loved ones to be in community, eat and produce foods together, get good sleep, and have a balance of self-care and collective care is more valuable.
Let’s create welcoming spaces for all bodies.
Let’s retool our culture and society to value holistic health. Not one metric….that doesn’t accurately measure health.
Myth Two: Fat People Aren’t Fit
I train in martial arts. In 2019, I presented with one of my training partners at a martial arts teachers’ conference on weight stigma in martial arts. We interviewed numerous people in large bodies sharing their experience of weight stigma in martial arts. Many of the people interviewed have advanced belts, some even more than one black belt. All people discussed having experiences where training partners, teachers, and tournament judges assumed they lacked skills due to their size. They also expressed being told that martial arts could lead to weight loss as opposed to skill and confidence development. Lastly, many expressed that they assumed they could take more physical contact due to their large body.
How sad and upsetting that we continue to focus on weight loss instead of the intrinsic and community benefits of physical activity and movement.
Researchers have found that losing pounds doesn’t always lead to healthy gains.
Hunger points to a meta-analysis that found that even after dieters lost weight, their blood pressure, glucose, and other blood markers weren’t significantly better when they were reevaluated two years later.
A New View: Redefining how we hold Health
I am including this piece from ASDAH- Association of Size Diversity and Health as it articulates so powerfully how we need to hold weight, health and inclusivity
https://asdah.org/health-at-every-size-haes-approach/
“The Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH) affirms a holistic definition of health, which cannot be characterized as the absence of physical or mental illness, limitation, or disease. Rather, health exists on a continuum that varies with time and circumstance for each individual. Health should be conceived as a resource or capacity available to all regardless of health condition or ability level, and not as an outcome or objective of living. Pursuing health is neither a moral imperative nor an individual obligation, and health status should never be used to judge, oppress, or determine the value of an individual.”
Need help?
Contact me. I would love to support you.
Examining Dated Eating Disorder Views With Dr. Marcella Raimondo
I very much appreciated being interviewed by Erin Skinner on the Empowered Nutrition podcast to explore how to address eating disorders in nutritional settings. I appreciated how open Erin was in hearing how so many food plans, diets, mainstream eating approaches that involve eliminating foods are actually restrictive, depriving, and can cause all kinds of disordered eating. It felt great to have us hold a vision of body and food liberation/justice.
Check it out - https://lnkd.in/gBDZj5Ht
Do you see patients in your practice that struggle with disordered eating and eating disorders?
In this episode, Dr. Marcella Raimondo discusses outdated perceptions of eating disorders and how we, as nutritional professionals, can best aid our mental health counterparts in treating clients with disordered eating.
I find, in my practice, that I encounter clients with eating disorders or disordered eating regularly. As nutrition professionals, it is important for us to be able to work cohesively with the mental health professionals that are treating these clients and stay updated on current treatment plans.
Are you a nutritionist that sees these types of patients? Do you want to know more about what mental health professionals want from us to best aid their patients' recoveries?
Marcella Raimondo, PhD, MPH is a passionate and spirited clinical trainer speaking from her heart on social justice and eating disorders since 1995. Marcella received her B.A. from UC Berkeley and a Master's Degree in Public Health from the University of Michigan. Marcella's desire to address eating disorders drove her to pursue her doctorate in clinical psychology, receiving her PhD in 2012.
She completed her post-doc internships at an eating disorder outpatient program and an eating disorder residential program for adolescents. Marcella currently serves as a Licensed Clinical Psychologist (PSY # 27037) in Kaiser Permanente's eating disorder clinic in Oakland and runs a private practice. Marcella herself recovered from anorexia nervosa over 20 years ago.
In this episode we talk about:
- Marcella's journey to becoming a specialist in eating disorders
- How to strike a balance between eating disorders and therapeutic medical diets
- Whether and how modern foods and diet culture perpetuate eating disorders
- How nutrition professionals can support mental health professionals with meal plans, liberating from restrictive food mentality, support with health needs such as IBS and diabetes, education on metabolic processes, explanation of the physiology of dieting and its effects on metabolism and how it leads to malnutrition
- Marcella's process with eating disorder patients dealing with their behaviors, exercise, body image, diet recall, goals, mental health and family history, risk, and their personal stories and how the disorders may serve to fill a need, and address those needs in a healthy manner
- How she helps practitioners improve their expertise with eating disorders
Connect with Dr. Raimondo at marcella@marcellaedtraining.
Visit Dr. Raimondo's Training Website: https://marcellaedtraining.
Facebook and Instagram: Dr. Marcella Raimondo
Check out the full episode at: