Each year as part of Mental Health Awareness Week, Digital Spy writers share their experiences of how entertainment can be part of the conversation around mental illness.
“I didn’t eat for three days so I could be lovely.”
If you were a teenager growing up in the UK around ten years ago, you probably know that these words belong to Cassie Ainsworth, a ‘first generation’ Skins character. Cassie was kind, beautiful and her story line focused heavily on her having anorexia nervosa.
Beat, the UK’s eating disorder charity, describes anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating as serious mental illnesses. Girls aged 12 to 20 are most at risk of developing them.
My memory of Cassie is that she was, indeed, lovely. As a teenager I watched her on the small, square TV in my bedroom with her skinny frame, elfin features and eclectic clothes and I wanted to be just like her. I was not disturbed by the anorexia storyline. I was inspired by it.
I should make clear, if it’s not obvious already, that at that time I had developed a dangerously low self-esteem and a disordered relationship with food for multiple complex reasons. The process was gradual but by the age of 16 I was no longer functioning normally and for a time the prospect of eating terrified me to the point of tears.
I sought validation that what I was doing would make me happy, one day, if I could just get thin enough. Mainly, I spent lots of time reading so-called 'motivation' posts and looking at pictures of emaciated girls on pro-anorexic blogs. Cassie was, I remember, a regular fixture.
Beat has published guidelines for the dramatic portrayal of eating disorders and while Cassie’s storyline met one of them – in that she didn’t make a miraculously quick recovery (which of course doesn’t happen in real life) – it was irresponsible in other ways, such as specifically referencing eating-disorder behaviours.
I can remember taking some of them on board as useful tips.
Fast forward ten years and dramatisations of eating disorders are still falling short in places. In 2017 Netflix released an original film called To The Bone, in which Lily Collins plays Ellen, a 20-year-old with anorexia. It was met with criticism for its at-times-irresponsible depiction of the condition.
Beat said: "There is a strong likelihood that people who have been affected by eating disorders would find the film highly distressing or triggering… It includes frequent references to calories, weight and eating disorder behaviours, and images of Ellen at a very low weight."
'It’s important that shows marketed at teenagers tackle mental health issues. But crucially, that has to be done responsibly'
Yes, we need our TV, film and all other forms of media to tell stories related to all mental health issues, including eating disorders, but it can’t be overstated how important it is that such storytelling is done with the utmost care and responsibility.
While for me in my unwell state, Cassie’s presence on Skins was a source of pro-anorexia inspiration, it could be argued she was a force for good. Many viewers felt seen because finally a TV show was depicting someone’s struggle with anorexia.
Hannah Murray, who played Cassie, said in 2013: "It’s easy to see her as a very issues-based character because she did suffer from an eating disorder. But I thought that the main thing about her was that she was insecure and lonely, and that’s why she was such a well-loved character. A lot of people – and not necessarily just young women, boys as well – could identify with that being an outsider."
Clearly, Cassie was a comfort for some and it’s important that shows marketed at teenagers tackle mental health issues. But crucially, that has to be done responsibly.
According to Beat, anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, and the charity estimates 1.25 million people in the UK have an eating disorder.
I’m thankful beyond words that I was able to overcome my disordered eating issues – in a difficult process that took years – but not everyone gets the chance to do that.
That’s why, as we become increasingly better at discussing mental health openly, it’s vital that those making film and TV ensure they’re not contributing to the conversation in a way that’s not doing more harm than good.
For information and support related to eating disorders, call Beat on its helpline (0808 801 0677), youthline (0808 801 0711) and studentline (0808 801 0811) and visit the charity’s website: https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/.
Acting Senior Editor
Megan is Cosmopolitan UK's acting senior editor, covering topics like careers, books, health and relationships. She's particularly fond of dogs, great vegan food and karaoke.
