This book explains in plain English (i.e. no endless strings of academic jargon) the ways in which Hollywood movies both reflect and encourage the cultural attitudes and thought processes that cause eating disorders. The author is both a professor and a therapist who treats eating disordered patients and she includes anecdotes from her students and patients throughout the book to illustrate the points she is making. My MA is in Women's Studies and my specialization was in pop culture representation, so nothing in this book was really new to me, but I think it's great for anyone who hasn't done the kind of extensive research in this area that I have. It's really clear and straight forward in both its language and the points it tries to make. Plus, it was published this year, so the films it uses both as examples and case studies are very recent and familiar. I liked it.

Also, for those of you in recovery for eating disorders, since this book focuses mostly on the movies and not so much on the behavior of eating disordered women, I didn't find it very triggering.

Share/Like this Review?