31:
368:, a 30-year-old divorced mother of two, traces her eating issues back to an incident at the pediatrician when she was 7 and put on a diet which then led to anorexia. She describes massive binge/purge sessions which resulted in hospitalizations due to the resulting dehydration and her severe abuse of diuretics, hydrochlorothiazide, laxatives, enemas and
317:
is a 15-year-old student who was admitted to
Renfrew with liver damage, a low heart rate and hair loss after dropping from 185 to 97 pounds in less than a year. She describes herself as a compulsive over-eater from the age of 8, leading into compulsive dieting and anorexia from the age of 12, citing
392:
In 2008, Shelly reported that she was successfully recovering from her eating disorder. In 2010, she was featured in a news feature about her and her friend's recovery from anorexia, which stated that the attention
Guillory received after the film debuted triggered a relapse. Guillory later went to
375:
Apart from her binges, which she describes as occurring "every few weeks or so, over and over again, for three or four days", she was restricting to under 200 calories a day prior to entering
Renfrew. She had been hospitalized five times in the three months leading to her admittance to the Center.
423:
2006. It has also screened at Hot Docs and Full Frame, as well as film festivals in
Chicago, Vancouver, Austin, St. Louis, Ojai, Galway and Sweden. It received the 2006 Documentary Grand Jury Prize at the Boston Independent Film Festival, Newport International Film Festival and Jackson Hole Film
293:
has been at
Renfrew for nine weeks. She admitted herself after a suicide attempt over two slices of pizza, explaining that while they weren't the whole motivation, they were "kind of the straw that broke the camel's back". When interviewed she says that "dieting has always been a huge part of my
246:
Living at the center for six months, Greenfield and director of photography Amanda
Micheli received unrestricted access to film staff meetings, therapy sessions, mealtimes and daily weigh-ins that depict the highly structured routine of inpatients' daily lives. The film explores their turbulent
349:
Throughout the film
Brittany is resistant to recovery, explaining that she would like to lose "another forty pounds" and that she "just want to be thin". She tells her nutritionist she has purged twelve times since entering Renfrew and walks out of group therapy in tears when her dedication to
297:
She celebrates her 30th birthday in the Center and seems to be making progress with her anorexia but has trouble with some of the rules. She is expelled after Keilee tells the staff about Polly getting the NEDA symbol tattooed on her hip while on a day pass from the Center. This incident was
382:
After discharge, Alisa struggles through dinner with her children and Shelly at a restaurant. She picks at her food and takes tiny bites. The film later shows Alisa, agitated and pacing around her home, distract her two children with cartoons and waffles as she enters her bathroom to purge
454:
270:
surgically implanted in her stomach. She admits herself into
Renfrew after ten hospitalizations. On her arrival she weighs 84.3 pounds, having been anorexic for six years and tube fed for five of those years. She has an identical twin, Kelly, who does not have an eating disorder.
274:
Shelly describes a reliance on various mood stabilizers and tranquilizers and has volatile mood swings throughout the film, in particular getting very angry and aggressive when stolen food mistakenly attributed to her and pulse deficits lead to her being accused of purging.
396:
Polly moved to
Chattanooga after leaving Renfrew, went back to school to study photography and was managing a studio at the time of the film's release. She died at her residence on February 8, 2008 due to an overdose of sleeping pills. Her death is believed to have been a
305:
Upon being given her 24-hour notice to leave, Polly expresses despair and purges on camera. She was described in the epilogue as continuing to have trouble with purging and weight loss, and that she ultimately died in
February 2008 at age 33.
30:
196:, a 40-bed residential facility for the treatment of women with eating disorders. The center has been described as "one of the nation's best-known inpatient eating disorders centres". The film follows four women with
353:
Brittany's insurance benefits run out, forcing her to leave treatment early. She relapses into anorexia before leaving, prompting concern amongst patients and staff, and is released against medical advice.
325:; chewing "bags and bags of candy" and spitting it out without swallowing. Her mother's experience of anorexia is touched upon in greater detail in an interview in the film's companion book, also titled
727:
383:
repeatedly. The epilogue reveals that she would go on to lose 20 pounds and attempt suicide, and that she returned to Renfrew for treatment and maintained a healthy weight after leaving.
220:
as " a continuation of my decade-long exploration of body image and the way the female body has become a primary expression of identity for girls and women in our time."
697:
208:
in their struggle for recovery. The film premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival in 2005, before premiering to the general public on November 14, 2006 on HBO.
692:
376:
Having struggled with her eating disorder for 16 years, Alisa took disability leave from her job as a pharmaceutical rep in order to enter treatment.
321:
According to Brittany, her mother also has an eating disorder and in an interview, Brittany describes how they would have "the greatest time" with
478:
707:
722:
717:
712:
537:
357:
The epilogue states that she began to restrict after discharge and lost weight rapidly. Insurance would not pay for further treatment.
440:
340:
661:
732:
455:"Battling Skewed Perceptions Documentary Explores Four Patients Who Are Dying to Be Thin And One Clinic's Efforts to Save Them"
189:
581:
247:
interpersonal relationships, and highlights the efforts of the Renfrew medical team and the complex tasks they face.
687:
379:
Alisa seems to respond well to Renfrew and towards the end of her stay expresses a desire to "taste recovery".
645:
559:
416:
279:
193:
235:. Following multiple trips to the facility, she gained their trust and support to begin using it to film
177:
393:
rehab for a drug addiction, and described herself in the article as no longer having an eating disorder.
420:
318:"a bad body image" and a craving for acceptance amongst her peers as her motivation to lose weight.
702:
682:
594:
640:
602:
436:
336:
181:
62:
44:
263:
is a 25-year-old psychiatric nurse who enters the Center at the beginning of the film with a
298:
compounded by giving mood stabilizers to Shelly. Shelly told staff that Polly had given her
197:
570:
201:
424:
Festival. It has also been nominated for an International Documentary Association Award.
548:
526:
515:
501:
67:
676:
227:
magazine. She later returned to photograph young women for her personal project, the
116:
653:
302:
after the pills were discovered in her room during a routine check for contraband.
267:
57:
294:
life" and that she was "counting calories and counting fat by the time was 11".
403:
Alisa reportedly recovered from her eating disorder and began work as a teacher.
240:
228:
106:
606:
278:
The epilogue states that Shelly lost 17 pounds after discharge and underwent
299:
419:
and won the John Grierson Award for best feature-length documentary at the
329:
667:
327:
Greenfield, Lauren; Herzog, David B.; Strober, Michael (12 October 2006).
664:- Greenfield picks five films that have influenced her photographic style
264:
633:
479:"Too thin: 2 Utah women struggle together in their fight with anorexia"
223:
Greenfield first visited The Renfrew Center in 1997 on assignment for
369:
628:
322:
205:
560:
Anorexia: An Update From Shelly From the HBO Documentary, Thin...
239:, her directorial debut which she produced in collaboration with
185:
126:
595:"Yes, You Can Be Too Thin, and Treatment Can Be Heavy-Handed"
400:
Brittany is now fully recovered and a mother of three.
538:
Thin and Girl Culture - Smith College Museum of Art
155:
132:
122:
112:
102:
79:
50:
40:
23:
728:Documentary films about women in the United States
328:
8:
29:
20:
415:was selected for competition at the 2006
698:Documentary films about mental disorders
445:
7:
629:Lauren Greenfield's Official Website
472:
470:
468:
693:Documentary films about health care
216:Greenfield describes the making of
593:Heffernan, Virginia (2006-11-14).
14:
350:recovery is challenged by Polly.
668:Adam Friedman's Official Website
662:Five In Focus: Lauren Greenfield
477:Moore, Carrie A. (2010-02-21).
1:
708:Body image in popular culture
180:documentary film directed by
723:2000s English-language films
718:2006 directorial debut films
713:Films about eating disorders
291:Pollack "Polly" Ann Williams
141:November 14, 2006
749:
387:Participant status updates
282:to treat her depression.
28:
571:Chattanoogan Obituaries
188:. It was filmed at The
733:Coconut Creek, Florida
435:by Lauren Greenfield,
417:Sundance Film Festival
280:electric shock therapy
206:other eating disorders
516:Director's Statement
421:London Film Festival
231:and art exhibition,
335:. Chronicle Books.
184:and distributed by
599:The New York Times
453:Boodman, Sandra.
315:Brittany Robinson
251:Main Participants
182:Lauren Greenfield
170:(often styled as
163:
162:
89:Brittany Robinson
63:Lauren Greenfield
45:Lauren Greenfield
740:
649:Official Website
617:
616:
614:
613:
590:
584:
582:Access Hollywood
579:
573:
568:
562:
557:
551:
546:
540:
535:
529:
524:
518:
513:
507:
499:
493:
492:
490:
489:
474:
463:
462:
450:
346:
334:
198:anorexia nervosa
148:
146:
33:
21:
748:
747:
743:
742:
741:
739:
738:
737:
688:HBO Films films
673:
672:
625:
620:
611:
609:
592:
591:
587:
580:
576:
569:
565:
558:
554:
547:
543:
536:
532:
525:
521:
514:
510:
500:
496:
487:
485:
476:
475:
466:
459:Washington Post
452:
451:
447:
430:
410:
389:
363:
343:
326:
323:"chew and spit"
312:
288:
261:Shelly Guillory
258:
253:
214:
202:bulimia nervosa
151:
144:
142:
135:
98:
86:Shelly Guillory
75:
36:
19:
12:
11:
5:
746:
744:
736:
735:
730:
725:
720:
715:
710:
705:
700:
695:
690:
685:
675:
674:
671:
670:
665:
659:
651:
643:
631:
624:
623:External links
621:
619:
618:
585:
574:
563:
552:
541:
530:
519:
508:
494:
464:
444:
429:
426:
409:
406:
405:
404:
401:
398:
394:
388:
385:
366:Alisa Williams
362:
359:
341:
311:
308:
287:
284:
257:
254:
252:
249:
213:
210:
192:of Florida in
190:Renfrew Center
161:
160:
157:
153:
152:
150:
149:
138:
136:
133:
130:
129:
124:
123:Distributed by
120:
119:
114:
110:
109:
104:
100:
99:
97:
96:
95:Polly Williams
93:
92:Alisa Williams
90:
87:
83:
81:
77:
76:
74:
73:
70:
68:Amanda Micheli
65:
60:
54:
52:
48:
47:
42:
38:
37:
35:Release Poster
34:
26:
25:
17:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
745:
734:
731:
729:
726:
724:
721:
719:
716:
714:
711:
709:
706:
704:
701:
699:
696:
694:
691:
689:
686:
684:
681:
680:
678:
669:
666:
663:
660:
658:
656:
652:
650:
648:
644:
642:
638:
636:
632:
630:
627:
626:
622:
608:
604:
600:
596:
589:
586:
583:
578:
575:
572:
567:
564:
561:
556:
553:
550:
545:
542:
539:
534:
531:
528:
523:
520:
517:
512:
509:
506:
504:
498:
495:
484:
480:
473:
471:
469:
465:
460:
456:
449:
446:
443:
442:
441:0-8118-5633-X
438:
434:
427:
425:
422:
418:
414:
407:
402:
399:
395:
391:
390:
386:
384:
380:
377:
373:
371:
367:
360:
358:
355:
351:
347:
344:
342:0-8118-5633-X
338:
333:
332:
324:
319:
316:
309:
307:
303:
301:
295:
292:
285:
283:
281:
276:
272:
269:
266:
262:
255:
250:
248:
244:
242:
238:
234:
230:
226:
221:
219:
211:
209:
207:
203:
199:
195:
194:Coconut Creek
191:
187:
183:
179:
178:cinéma vérité
175:
174:
169:
168:
158:
154:
140:
139:
137:
131:
128:
125:
121:
118:
117:Miriam Cutler
115:
111:
108:
105:
101:
94:
91:
88:
85:
84:
82:
78:
71:
69:
66:
64:
61:
59:
56:
55:
53:
49:
46:
43:
39:
32:
27:
22:
16:
654:
646:
634:
610:. Retrieved
598:
588:
577:
566:
555:
544:
533:
522:
511:
502:
497:
486:. Retrieved
483:Deseret News
482:
458:
448:
432:
431:
412:
411:
381:
378:
374:
365:
364:
356:
352:
348:
330:
320:
314:
313:
304:
296:
290:
289:
277:
273:
268:feeding tube
260:
259:
245:
236:
233:Girl Culture
232:
224:
222:
217:
215:
176:) is a 2006
172:
171:
166:
165:
164:
134:Release date
72:Ted Skillman
58:R. J. Cutler
15:
657:photo essay
241:R.J. Cutler
51:Produced by
41:Directed by
703:Body shape
683:2006 films
677:Categories
612:2021-11-13
549:Meet Polly
488:2021-11-13
428:References
229:photo-book
212:Production
145:2006-11-14
107:Kate Amend
18:2006 film
607:0362-4331
527:Why Thin?
300:Neurontin
103:Edited by
505:Synopsis
397:suicide.
310:Brittany
156:Language
113:Music by
80:Starring
159:English
143: (
637:(2006)
605:
439:
408:Awards
370:ipecac
339:
256:Shelly
361:Alisa
286:Polly
655:Thin
647:Thin
641:IMDb
635:Thin
603:ISSN
503:THIN
437:ISBN
433:Thin
413:Thin
337:ISBN
331:THIN
237:Thin
225:Time
218:Thin
204:and
173:THIN
167:Thin
24:Thin
639:at
265:PEG
186:HBO
127:HBO
679::
601:.
597:.
481:.
467:^
457:.
372:.
243:.
200:,
615:.
491:.
461:.
345:.
147:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
