Characters in TV Shows with ED Storylines

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Jasmine

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Thought I'd open up a thread about this. I've noticed that in a lot of TV shows a character has an ED for 1 or 2 episodes (basically max an hour) and then it's magically gone :rolleyes: If only it were that simple. However, I'd say there's at least one notable exception to that rule (Cassie from Skins). What are opinions on this?

From the shows I've seen, the characters and their storylines are:
-- Degrassi: Kathleen (anorexia), Toby (bulimia), Emma (anorexia), Manny (almost had one), Katie (bulimia)
-- Skins: Cassie (anorexia)
-- Beverly Hills 90210: Kelly (sort of anorexia?...in the making? maybe? well she abused diet pills like crazy and had the classic signs, so she was on her way)

Have any of you seen a TV show with a character who more realistically portrayed an ED? I'm genuinely curious. I'd say Emma from Degrassi came the closest for me, and she does talk about the lingering feelings once in a later episode.
 
Marley, one of the new characters on Glee, has bulimia. It started because her mother is obese and they decided to diet together, but she goes overboard. It carried on for a few episodes and she ended up fainting on stage because of it, but you know Glee... it's all jokey and weird. They still bring it up through random one-liners from the fat cheerleader.
 
Hannah Ashworth from British teen soap Hollyoaks. The story and development was overly simplified (she is encouraged by a 'model' friend to begin dieting). However, it wasn't glamourised and she was eventually hospitalised against her will after struggling for a while. Her friend had a heart attack and died. Very basic but for how this soap can be, it wasn't too bad. The storyline went on for quite a while and showed her ups and downs. I was struggling at the time so it was quite hard for me to watch.

And although not a series, hospital drama 'Casualty' recently had an episode with a young women with an eating disorder who decided she wanted to be allowed to die in a hospice. It wasn't pretty and after years of battling anorexia she grasps onto recovery at the end of the episode due to a Doctor's wise words after he switches off his wife's life support machine :confused:
 
There was a cheesy show a while back called Make It or Break It, about gymnasts. One of the characters in the show, Kaylee (Josie Loren), developed anorexia. Went to a treatment center and all. While there she had a little storyline with another girl (I forget her name, but she was played by Alice Greczyn) who was playing a model who eventually died from her eating disorder.

The show was so overly dramatic it's ridiculous, but hey, it's a soap opera about gymnasts, what can you really expect...
 
So far the message I'm getting is these shows are all a touch too dramatic :lol: I feel you on that one.....I find ED movies (not just documentaries) do a better job of portraying anorexia/bulimia/etc. So I made a thread on that too ;)
 
Jasmine171819 said:
So far the message I'm getting is these shows are all a touch too dramatic :lol: I feel you on that one.....I find ED movies (not just documentaries) do a better job of portraying anorexia/bulimia/etc. So I made a thread on that too ;)
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I'd agree with you on that one, I guess with certain shows (like the hospital drama) they have a very quick turnover of storylines so need to cram in as much as possible while keeping viewer numbers up. Soap & serial drama have a better chance of developing a storyline but are probably trying to appeal to a wider audience. That's my guess anyway :hmm:
 
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eyelinerandspraypaint said:
I'd agree with you on that one, I guess with certain shows (like the hospital drama) they have a very quick turnover of storylines so need to cram in as much as possible while keeping viewer numbers up. Soap & serial drama have a better chance of developing a storyline but are probably trying to appeal to a wider audience. That's my guess anyway :hmm:
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So true! When in reality, eating disorders are hardly a "one episode" problem in life. Nor are they even a "one season" problem, they're for life.
 
Jasmine171819 said:
So true! When in reality, eating disorders are hardly a "one episode" problem in life. Nor are they even a "one season" problem, they're for life.
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Quite, it's not much different when in the soaps people miraculously come off heroin, without drug replacement therapy, treatment or support. Or have one episode of Bipolar mania and never struggle again (personal bugbear of mine).

I'd like to see a more modern eating disorder film, most of the ones I've seen have been a little dated and I think general public and scientific understanding of anorexia/bulimia has really developed over the last decade (not always for the better but you know).

Just thought of another eating disorder programme but interestingly it's more about BED as well as general MH problems - it was a British mini series called 'My Mad Fat Diary' and I actually loved it. It was a real coming of age story with the right measures of humour and seriousness. It didn't focus loads on the BED but it was part and parcel of the main character's general mental health condition.
 
Pretty Little Liars attempted to a little but it was poorly done.. one of the main characters hanna just a little at the start and then sort of forgotten it seemed if i remember rightly...
 
wanttobethin said:
Pretty Little Liars attempted to a little but it was poorly done.. one of the main characters hanna just a little at the start and then sort of forgotten it seemed if i remember rightly...
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OMG can't believe I forgot about Hannah. In the books, it was much more well layed out and portrayed, IMO. (All I can remember is "the Kate toothbrush" :wtf::wtf:)
 
Jasmine171819 said:
OMG can't believe I forgot about Hannah. In the books, it was much more well layed out and portrayed, IMO. (All I can remember is "the Kate toothbrush" :wtf::wtf:)
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was so badly done in the series... i haven't read the books i need to though! and the kate toothbrush? i don't remember that?
 
wanttobethin said:
was so badly done in the series... i haven't read the books i need to though! and the kate toothbrush? i don't remember that?
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Think of Hannah's ED, and methods on how to...um.....do it :superpuke: It first started when she and Allison visited Kate (he step-sister to be) in the books.....They totally neglected to mention that in the shows. They also forgot to make her a gorgeous, thin, brunette who smokes and constantly watches her figure throughout the series, but I'll overlook that I guess :lol:
 
Jasmine171819 said:
Think of Hannah's ED, and methods on how to...um.....do it :superpuke: It first started when she and Allison visited Kate (he step-sister to be) in the books.....They totally neglected to mention that in the shows. They also forgot to make her a gorgeous, thin, brunette who smokes and constantly watches her figure throughout the series, but I'll overlook that I guess :lol:
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I gotta read the books!
 
wanttobethin said:
I gotta read the books!
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YOU SO DO

:drool:

Once my exams are done, I'm going to the store STAT to buy book 9-12 and get up to speed :p

(After reading that part of the book, I kind of felt sorry for Kate.....little did she know how nasty it was the next time she used that toothbrush :wtf:)
 
Jasmine171819 said:
YOU SO DO

:drool:

Once my exams are done, I'm going to the store STAT to buy book 9-12 and get up to speed :p

(After reading that part of the book, I kind of felt sorry for Kate.....little did she know how nasty it was the next time she used that toothbrush :wtf:)
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how many books are there :wtf: I think i'll wait til after my exams to start! otherwise i won't stop!
 
wanttobethin said:
how many books are there :wtf: I think i'll wait til after my exams to start! otherwise i won't stop!
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13 so far!!! And there's 3 A's!!!!! No A "team" like in the show. The show went so far off the books after season 2, it's not even funny.....
 
wanttobethin said:
skinny gossip... the only place i can get excited about reading books in summer :highfive::lol:
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YESSSSS :cool: Who cares if it's a "silly" book for teenager girls, it's AWESOME! If they want reading to be fun, the story better be interesting ;)
 
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