“Sweet Purge” – a digital short about the crisis of eating disorders

About a dozen years ago, I worked with Tabatha Beshears on the Bottle Service webseries. But while Bottle Service never saw the light of day … Tabatha went on to create some other videos and media projects.

Including this extremely important digital short called “Sweet Purge.” And I will preface this with a trigger warning that “Sweet Purge” discusses eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia nervosa – the causes, the consequences, and why what seem to be well-intentioned efforts by outsiders to help by saying, “Just eat some more food, you’ll be fine,” or “Don’t eat so much, or you’ll never get rid of that baby fat around your hips,” can actually have the opposite consequence.

And it’s not just teen party girls who suffer from eating disorders. There are men who feel that food controls or restricts their body image, whether it involves bulking up or building that washboard stomach, and whether that next protein shake or carbo-building side dish could make or break that imagined bulge or divot in their internal view of body dysmorphia.

First off, here’s the video. It’s only nine minutes long, but it really deserves your attention.

And now, I’ll let Tabatha explain why this video means so much to her.

I usually have a handful of people who get triggered and delete me when I repost this, but I believe this a conversation that needs to continue.

I wanted to repost this for NEDA week (National Eating Disorders Awareness Week). I’m forever grateful we had the opportunity to shoot this short film, and the reception it’s gotten. I just watched a movie that recently was released about ED’s, and noticed several similarities creatively to my short. I could be mad, but honestly, I’m flattered if said person did come across my short and it inspired them to keep an important conversation going. That was the point of this short. Keep the conversation going.

Whenever I share this, I usually share a part of my journey. I’ve entered real full recovery from Anorexia over the last couple of years, and to say it’s been the easiest, hardest, and best decision I’ve ever made wrapped into one is an understatement.

The hardest part? It wasn’t what people would think. It wasn’t my demons. It came from the people around me.

Many people believe that Anorexia is when someone is vastly underweight. Only about 40% of Anorexia patients end up severely underweight. The majority end up maintaining a healthy weight or are only slightly underweight. It’s labeled as subtype “atypical.” Which NEDA is trying to get rid of, because it prevents so many people like myself from getting help.

Anorexia is when someone withholds aka starves themselves by consuming under 1200 calories a day of food. Full blown is when someone is consuming 500 calories or less a day (3500/week) for an extended period of time. Anorexia is about restriction of food from the body, not weight.

You have zero clue what someone is going through behind closed doors. Our food is junk. Someone could be doing all the right things and still be severely inflammed or what appears to be “overweight.” It’s not your place to pass judgement.

The world feels very out of control right now, and those are conditions that can cause a relapse. Please be kind. The hardest part for me has been the comments, the looks, the judgement. I know screaming and yelling and judging and hate has now become status quo, but that doesn’t solve anything. Hate just creates more hate. Less judgement. More conversations. And I hope this is a conversation that continues.

Well said. I have nothing more to add to her thoughtful words.