Dana is eight years old and anorexic. Cutting Edge follows Dana as she embarks on an intensive 12-week programme at a specialist clinic, to examine why younger and younger children are developing eating disorders.
8.12
Rating: 8.12/10 based on 41 votes cast.
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Does anyone know how Dana is doing now, I struggle with anorexia since 2 years and I came back to watch this documentary she was such a sweet girl.
Amazing
Does anyone know the name of the song that was played in this documentary? It sounds like a harp solo…
For those wondering how Dana is now, I came across a website linking Facebook profiles of several girls/women from different Eating Disorder films and Dana was one of them. She’s now in her 20’s and looking as though she’s doing very well! Of course, just going by looks can be deceiving but from what I can see she looks like she’s doing well. I first watched this documentary years ago and it’s one I’ve come back to watch several times. I’m 21 and am struggling with Anorexia, currently in an inpatient facility and have been for years. It’s a devastating illness and really is like a demon that takes over you. Dana seemed like such a sweet little girl and I can’t believe some of the horrid comments judging her. Goes to show there is nowhere near enough awareness around this disease. Such a sad story and I do genuinely hope that Dana IS doing well now.
Anyone also thinking it could be sexual abuse? She wanted to die. She said there was something she wanted to forget. It is so common to be abused and everyone looks everywhere else.
Why is she all made up with mascara and eye shadow when she goes out with her parents?
Poor baby. Just needs a little more love attention.
Anyone else hungry?
Would someone give the child a napkin?. Just because she has not ate in a while does not mean it is okay to have poor table manners.
children with ED’s will hide food in napkins.
I tried to read some of these comments and just got sick. The kinds of things people whose lives have never been touched by mental illness will say about anorexic young girls are shocking.
If you’ve never personally experienced anorexia, you have zero right to judge this child or her parents. I’m not kidding. You have absolutely zero right. My mother and her mother all have been or are anorexic. I would rather wake up tomorrow with one arm than with my eating disorder, BUT I have never in all my life hated or blamed my mother for it. She is only as culpable as literally ever other factor in my entire childhood, adolescence, and genetic code. There is no common denominator when it comes to mental illnesses. You all sound like sociopaths trying to do busted psychology on a baby girl you’ve never met based on less than an hour of footage.
I get the feeling that Dana’s parents are not ‘together.’ They seem to appear together for ‘appearances,’ which may explain their cold body language toward one another. There is definitely something wrong with the family life. This is probably the root of the problem. And Dana may be punishing her parents, I think. The truth of what triggered the anorexia may be found, at any rate, in what Dana is trying to ‘forget.’ What kind of family life is that when an eight year old girl has her own phone and watches television unsupervised? Who’s to blame when anorexia occurs? I am convinced that the selfish parents are usually, if not always, to blame. Just remember the other girl whose parents divorced when she was two. Same problem there, same cause.
Omg! Some of these post, judging her parents! You have no idea what it’s like to sit at a table for hours, everyday, every meal…trying to convince them food is not bad!!! It is so deep seeded in their brain… It’s so much more than they just don’t want to eat… And yes to some of you it may seem like they are trying to get her to eat a lot of food… It takes a tremendous amount of calories to repair the damage that has been done. I just wish there was more education to the general public about this… It would make families dealing with it less lonely/ shameful … Even so, I think it’s one of those things you will never truly understand unless you are in it… Dana is amazing, and so brave.. What she accomplished in that time frame was not easy! And I think her parents are wonderful… Could not have been easy to drop off an 8 year old for treatment! I know it was hard to drop off a 13 year old (who is doing much better, but still fights the ugly Demond 2 years later!). I would love to know how Dana is doing today.
Hope, how much are you to blame? Search your biography and quit exalting the parents.
Actually, having had an eating disorder when I was 11, and 12 (I’m now 24)
actually had nothing to do with media, for me anyways. It was about socializing and making new friends. I had a hard time with bullying at the public school I was attending so my parents thought it was best to transfer to a smaller private school where making friends may be easier due to smaller class sizes and that had a better focus on sports and learning the importance of teamwork.
Tragically it was a terrible change and one I had a very difficult time adjusting to socially. I immediately was picked on for being heavy (which was never the case at the public school I attended previously) so the focus for me became what size I was instead of education. I constantly compared myself to others and began to associate being thin, with being able to get along with others in social situations. It impacted my idea of how a girl needed to look in order to be accepted by men, and in relationships.
And typically, parents don’t relate to this kind of disorder. Teachers don’t understand the disorder either and trying to make their child eat, really, is only helping the parent deal with their child going through this disorder, not creating a treatment plan. It’s a very helpless feeling for a parent to not have their child eat as a healthy child would because of such tragic consequences. I don’t think there is a proper place in this type of disorder for a blame game as much as therapists and onlookers try to make for it. I think it may be even worse for parents because they are at a loss for control and are very helpless.
Treatment for me came through, oddly enough dancing, where image is important, but so is energy and nutrition for performance. It was through having a high school senior from a public high school that I was not familiar with give me a new idea of what health and beauty were, and how they did not formally dictate success in life. I learned early on then, through rigorous physical activity, that food is a form of nutrition for the body and not something that’s eaten or not eaten because of size, but because of health. Food is energy and in a perfect non-genetically modified, antibiotic ingested, pesticide applied, world, it’s what helps your body instead of hurts it.
Thank you for this comment, Sarah. I have been trying to help a dear friend through her eating disorder, but I haven’t quite figured out how to encourage her without taking away her control. I understand that control is such a central feature of EDs. I also have to be mindful of my own OCD tendencies which can be counterproductive. The insight you have provided here in this comment has been very helpful.
The first thing that caught my eye, was the fact that the 8 year old is wearing a full face of make-up. What non-sense parent allows their child to do so? If that’s the case, I guess the parents don’t mind her looking at 17 year old magazines, having sex, drinking and maybe starving herself. I blame society, but I blame the parents too. Most parents today would rather worry about a Gucci purse than what a child is being exposed to. If as a parent you can set boundries to what a child is exposed to, you may have less adult issues(with a child) on your hands…only my opinion.
i was anoreixic and I blame my mother even though, she didn’t mean to hurt me. She’s obese and hates her body. She would constantly tell me not to get fat like her and tell me I looked to fat, or not to eat such and such. (btw, my body weight was completely healthy) I finally stopped eating, and then she couldn’t figure out why I was starving myself. I was sooo mad the other day when I was visiting home and she was helping my 5 year old daughter get dressed and she commented that her tummy was finally getting flat and she was loosing her fat toddler tummy. (my daughter is also a healthy weight and has always been). I was thinking that I’d better keep my kids away from her, so she doesn’t hurt them.
clearly her parents are at fault.. poor girl.
I saw the same thing.
She sounds more like her Anorexia is a symptom of some sort of OCD, with the “I’m tired, but I cannot stop” idea she has.
the mother is clueless, here daughter has tried to kill herself slowly and yet mum dosnt seem to relate it to the kids mental health, her own behaviour,husband, life at home or anything – parents ruin children
ASPECT RATIO.
Forcing the girls to eat chocolate bars can’t be helpful!!! Loss of control solved by taking away more control….How about empowering them instead?
Forcing the girls to eat chocolate bars can’t be helpful!!! Loss of control solved by taking away more control….How about empowering them instead?
I think that’s a difficult concept for most people to grasp. One must first be empowered in order to empower themselves and many people simply aren’t. Most people seem to be emotionally reactive to outside events, rather than directed from inside.
I don’t understand all the fuss about Dana wearing makeup.
She’s in treatment with a bunch of teenagers. Teenagers wear makeup. Of course she wants to wear makeup, too. It’s like playing, dressing up. When I was a kid I LOVED to play around with my mother’s makeup, too. It has nothing to do with her eating disorder for fucks sake…
Disturbing!
Very well done doc, and I hope the best for that lovely girl.
And I hope Documentary Heaven will be more vigilant in getting rid of hate-filled comments from pathetic people as have been posted here.
I think those comments are horrendous as well, but censorship is worse.
Maybe you are confusing it with censorship of individuals in society by the state? That’s not fine, though even still in most civil societies you’re not allowed to incite hatred.
It’s unfortunate we’re even having this conversation….that a human/maggot would feel the need to spout such bile.
I just wish Dana the best. She is a beautiful, intelligent, courageous girl who deserves a good life.
No offense, but what you said sounds much closer to bile. Censorship of any kind is a slippery slope that leads to what we have nowadays, extreme political correctness where everyone has to watch what they say very closely and people calling for things they don’t like being said censored. Its mind-boggling that the first amendment is respected at such a level.
Maybe you are confusing it with censorship of individuals in society by the state? That’s not fine, though even still in most civil societies you’re not allowed to incite hatred.
It’s unfortunate we’re even having this conversation….that a human/maggot would feel the need to spout such bile.
I just wish Dana the best. She is a beautiful, intelligent, courageous girl who deserves a good life.
Censorship on message boards happens all the time. It’s not some kind of terrible “censorship” anymore than you telling someone who says offensive things to leave your home.
So yeah, censorship of slander and hate on a comment board is just fine. Without it idiots like the ones who wrote those comments would stink up boards with there vile garbage…boards where intelligent people gather to exchange thoughts.
Should the board owners allow anyone to say anything they like, regardless of how disruptive/slanderous/ignorant it is, and allow the board to become unpleasant and avoided by sane people?
Maybe we should censor people who favour censorship.
Basically, yes they should.
Very well done doc, and I hope the best for that lovely girl.
And I hope Documentary Heaven will be more vigilant in getting rid of hate-filled comments from pathetic people as have been posted here.
Don’t like the way that ends at all. Dana is already brokering deals about chocolate and inch by inch, cutting out portions and her mom, too exhausted to have to manage it, is quietly giving her concessions. And an 8 year old with make up? Gives you an idea about where her head is at.
I think the parents could do with serious investigation. I agree the semi skankho necklace was not cool for an 8 year old. As well of the make up. I think the family looked really unconnected. Note even when the Mom was crying the husband stood there awkwardly. Big house, big job, big gaps??,,,,,
Wow, how insightful Peepee, great comments!
It’s hard for people to understand having an eating disorder, if you never had one. Even Dana didn’t understand it herself. These girls are not stupid, they are just under lots of pressure, maybe from society, maybe something else. Everyone is different. It’s not about being thin, it’s about how you feel about yourselve.
It scares me these kids are getting younger and younger. Kids that age should be playing outside and having fun. No one should have an eating disorder, it’s not fun and no one ever can want something like that..
It’s hard for people to understand having an eating disorder, if you never had one. Even Dana didn’t understand it herself. These girls are not stupid, they are just under lots of pressure, maybe from society, maybe something else. Everyone is different. It’s not about being thin, it’s about how you feel about yourselve.
It scares me these kids are getting younger and younger. Kids that age should be playing outside and having fun. No one should have an eating disorder, it’s not fun and no one ever can want something like that..
these parents suck..
these parents suck..
no they r goin thro a huge problem tht u dnt understand unles ur 8 yr old went thro it u dnt knw how much pain theyv been thro so dnt go judgin
I fear the future of grammar and spelling
You may, but the sentiment is no less true.
Srsly, she’s 8, paints her face like a prostitute, wears jewelry and even a sub slut collar! And then Mom asks her daughter if she’s really gonna eat the whole piece of pie, maybe she should leave a little. While on a break from the anorexia clinic. lol.Close down those clinics and let evolution run its course, more stupid people really don’t help humanity at all..
Firstly, many girls wear makeup, and its totally normal for girls to do so. Many girls also wear jewelry and that is also completely normal. I’m a 33 year old male, and sometimes I even struggle finishing off pudding, especially if its a rich slab of cake AND ice cream, after having eaten a FULL MAIN COURSE already – its sometimes simply too much too eat.. so she did great to eat all that! I think this girl has shown great strength to come so far, and she was looking much healthier at the end of the 12 weeks. Maybe evolution should run its course then, and stupid people like you will hopefully fade away…
Firstly, many girls wear makeup, and its totally normal for girls to do so. Many girls also wear jewelry and that is also completely normal. I’m a 33 year old male, and sometimes I even struggle finishing off pudding, especially if its a rich slab of cake AND ice cream, after having eaten a FULL MAIN COURSE already – its sometimes simply too much too eat.. so she did great to eat all that! I think this girl has shown great strength to come so far, and she was looking much healthier at the end of the 12 weeks. Maybe evolution should run its course then, and stupid people like you will hopefully fade away…
I don’t really
have any strong feelings on anyone’s opinion here but I do think it’s
fully inappropriate for an 8 year old to wear make-up and
teenage jewellery. I think it’s rather indicative that her parents
are not rearing her properly. This is the result of passively letting
children grow up before their age and now they are suffering the consequences.
I don’t really
have any strong feelings on anyone’s opinion here but I do think it’s
fully inappropriate for an 8 year old to wear make-up and
teenage jewellery. I think it’s rather indicative that her parents
are not rearing her properly. This is the result of passively letting
children grow up before their age and now they are suffering the consequences.
I agree that it shows that she has been allowed to be exposed to way more than she should have, and where is the reaffirming that she is beautiful just the way she is, parents need to do this before the child starts to doubt themselves.
I know I am being really critical and I hope none of my children ever suffer from it, but she is the product of over exposure!
I am sure she feels unattractive, but not just to herself but to boys..
I know I thought of boys at her age BUT in a curious way.. she knows tooo much!
I agree that it shows that she has been allowed to be exposed to way more than she should have, and where is the reaffirming that she is beautiful just the way she is, parents need to do this before the child starts to doubt themselves.
I know I am being really critical and I hope none of my children ever suffer from it, but she is the product of over exposure!
I am sure she feels unattractive, but not just to herself but to boys..
I know I thought of boys at her age BUT in a curious way.. she knows tooo much!
The makeup was not applied by Dana’s parents.
It was done for her by the other girls in the clinic, who were on average much older – sixteen or seventeen. While Dana was there, her parents had limited input into her life: for the first stage of her treatment even visits were limited, in keeping with the Rhodes Farm rules. I don’t think you can blame the other girls for doing the make-over, or Dana for joining in. They’re kids. They were having fun – or as much fun as they could, given that they were stuck in the hospital.
The criticisms of Dana’s makeup-wearing upset her family when the documentary came out. Remember a documentary doesn’t show you everything about the subjects’ lives, so don’t jump to conclusions.
bt ppl with anorexia thinks theyr nt beutiful this is a way 4 her 2 still b countd beautiful bc she probably saw it on tv or in a magizine somewhere u cnt blame her or her rents its just make up & have u really noticd theres 11 yr olds getin pregnant nw a days nt tht surprisin
Firstly, many girls wear makeup, and its totally normal for girls to do so. Many girls also wear jewelry and that is also completely normal. I’m a 33 year old male, and sometimes I even struggle finishing off pudding, especially if its a rich slab of cake AND ice cream, after having eaten a FULL MAIN COURSE already – its sometimes simply too much too eat.. so she did great to eat all that! I think this girl has shown great strength to come so far, and she was looking much healthier at the end of the 12 weeks. Maybe evolution should run its course then, and stupid people like you will hopefully fade away…
Firstly, many girls wear makeup, and its totally normal for girls to do so. Many girls also wear jewelry and that is also completely normal. I’m a 33 year old male, and sometimes I even struggle finishing off pudding, especially if its a rich slab of cake AND ice cream, after having eaten a FULL MAIN COURSE already – its sometimes simply too much too eat.. so she did great to eat all that! I think this girl has shown great strength to come so far, and she was looking much healthier at the end of the 12 weeks. Maybe evolution should run its course then, and stupid people like you will hopefully fade away…
Srsly, she’s 8, paints her face like a prostitute, wears jewelry and even a sub slut collar! And then Mom asks her daughter if she’s really gonna eat the whole piece of pie, maybe she should leave a little. While on a break from the anorexia clinic. lol.Close down those clinics and let evolution run its course, more stupid people really don’t help humanity at all..
I can only laugh at them, they are so ultra stupid, it’s like comedy. But their parents should all be castrated of course, for making children that dumb.
I can only laugh at them, they are so ultra stupid, it’s like comedy. But their parents should all be castrated of course, for making children that dumb.
you’re joking… right?
This is so disturbing. It’s worrying that modern society puts so much pressure on CHILDREN to look ‘perfect’ or thin beyond a healthy level…
Modern society isn’t what made Dana do this or what makes any anorexic girl starve themselves. I have anorexia and I don’t starve myself just because I want to look like models that’s the least reason I do it. I do it because I want to look good and because it feels like I can have a grasp of something and with this with starving myself I have control over something in my life.
No,this isnt modern society that is putting the pressure on them. Modern society does not control the media these children are exposed to. Parents need to stop and look who own the magazines,the tv stations, Hollywood, news papers……..everything MASS media is controlled by Jews. They are the ones who dispense this depravity,moral decay, and sexual images to younger and younger children. It is not an accident…..There is an attack on anything good and descent. There is a massive struggle to push third world immigrants into Western Europe and America…..DIVIDE AND CONQUER……..Christianity is under relentless assault…..Who is doing this…well…it is history repeating itself,over and over and over again…JEWS RUN THE MEDIAHOLLYWOOD,MAGAZINES,the ADL is the at the forefront of Christianity’s attack,and the border erasing
No,this isnt modern society that is putting the pressure on them. Modern society does not control the media these children are exposed to. Parents need to stop and look who own the magazines,the tv stations, Hollywood, news papers……..everything MASS media is controlled by Jews. They are the ones who dispense this depravity,moral decay, and sexual images to younger and younger children. It is not an accident…..There is an attack on anything good and descent. There is a massive struggle to push third world immigrants into Western Europe and America…..DIVIDE AND CONQUER……..Christianity is under relentless assault…..Who is doing this…well…it is history repeating itself,over and over and over again…JEWS RUN THE MEDIAHOLLYWOOD,MAGAZINES,the ADL is the at the forefront of Christianity’s attack,and the border erasing
No,this isnt modern society that is putting the pressure on them. Modern society does not control the media these children are exposed to. Parents need to stop and look who own the magazines,the tv stations, Hollywood, news papers……..everything MASS media is controlled by Jews. They are the ones who dispense this depravity,moral decay, and sexual images to younger and younger children. It is not an accident…..There is an attack on anything good and descent. There is a massive struggle to push third world immigrants into Western Europe and America…..DIVIDE AND CONQUER……..Christianity is under relentless assault…..Who is doing this…well…it is history repeating itself,over and over and over again…JEWS RUN THE MEDIAHOLLYWOOD,MAGAZINES,the ADL is the at the forefront of Christianity’s attack,and the border erasing
Jews are now causing anorexia?
Listen to yourself. I’ve heard a lot of anti-semetic nonsense in my life, but that is just breathtakingly idiotic.
Jews are now causing anorexia?
Listen to yourself. I’ve heard a lot of anti-semetic nonsense in my life, but that is just breathtakingly idiotic.
Jews are now causing anorexia?
Listen to yourself. I’ve heard a lot of anti-semetic nonsense in my life, but that is just breathtakingly idiotic.
No,this isnt modern society that is putting the pressure on them. Modern society does not control the media these children are exposed to. Parents need to stop and look who own the magazines,the tv stations, Hollywood, news papers……..everything MASS media is controlled by Jews. They are the ones who dispense this depravity,moral decay, and sexual images to younger and younger children. It is not an accident…..There is an attack on anything good and descent. There is a massive struggle to push third world immigrants into Western Europe and America…..DIVIDE AND CONQUER……..Christianity is under relentless assault…..Who is doing this…well…it is history repeating itself,over and over and over again…JEWS RUN THE MEDIAHOLLYWOOD,MAGAZINES,the ADL is the at the forefront of Christianity’s attack,and the border erasing