Jabs, human ash and a tapeworm: behind the appetite for a new kind of disordered eating movie

Hollywood is releasing new films that explore body-image anxieties through supernatural horror and melodramatic comedy. The film "Saccharine" features Hana Hitching, a first-year medical student struggling with longstanding body-image issues, who turns to an illicit supplement promising rapid weight loss. The supplement's secret ingredient is human ash, leading Hana to be haunted by the ghost of the woman whose remains she consumed. This narrative reflects the extreme diet culture's motto, "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels," as illustrated by a former friend who experienced similar anxiety and hallucinations after taking the same pills. Another film, "Maddie's Secret," also delves into disordered eating themes, though its specific plot points are not detailed in the provided text. These films represent a growing trend in cinema to address the psychological and physical tolls of disordered eating and the pressures surrounding body image.