Problem in The Devil Wears Prada

[PegiiL]

Okay don't get me wrong it's a good movie with great acting especially from Meryl Streep but there was one little problem that bugged me about it. The character Emily confides in Andy at the benefit that she doesn't eat anything except for a tiny cube of cheese when she feels like she's about to faint. This irritated me as in the movie she looked moderately healthy and in moderately good shape for someone with Anorexia. I've been down that route so I should know. She should be.

• Incredibly irritable
  
• Very faint and weak and unable to lift her hand
  
• Emotional
  
• Complaining of stomach cramps
  
• Unhealthy looking and gaunt
  

Okay okay I'd admit that maybe there are some explanatory factors to why she doesn't look ill.

• She only started doing it
  
• Anorexia affects different people in different ways because every single body is different to another body
  
• It's Hollywood and everything is exagerrated so I guess I shouldn't complain too much.
  

[PegiiL]

When I say unable to lift her hand I mean like she would be so weak she'd find it hard to lift her hand.

[tma]

I'm sure that it was in the book and. obviously size is a theme that occurs in both the movie and the book.

As for the symptoms that you listed I would argue that she is incredibly irritable. She acts it out with her underlings, though- obviously not Miranda. She is highly emotionally invested in her job, to the point of obsession, and is used to denying herself. She will therefore deny herself any emotional releases that would get her fired, and she would never, ever, ever complain- she knows better.

I do think Hollywood doesn't like to show the ugly realities to some things. Anorexia can be brought up in the movie and it gives us a reason to "hate the character" NOTE: I do NOT think that it should- I'm saying that it seems like in the movie they use the anorexia as a plot device in this way- which is rather tragic. Although- I will say that they do gives glimpses at humanity- which is a good thing. I also sort of think that she might "walk the line" as far as making sure that she looked like the "modelized" version.... I know... I'm not making sense with that.

Good point though about the lack of realism with things like that in movies and such.

[YoriYori]

Okay okay I'd admit that maybe there are some explanatory factors to why she doesn't look ill.

• Anorexia affects different people in different ways because every single body is different to another body
  

Although I doubt this was on anyone's mind during production, in real life this is a very valid explanation. A lot of severe cases of anorexia are visibly obvious, but eating disorders, including some cases of anorexia can fall under the category of "invisible illnesses". Not all end in hospitalization.

My first time I lost a lot of weight. I didn't get down to the "looking like death" stage before the overwhelming weakness constant pain and irritability began to scare me back into increasing my intake again, but it was quite obvious to those around me that something not-right was happening to me.

Second time the calorie intake was higher due to the physical demands of my life at this point in time, but it was still anorexic level with dangerous amounts of over-exercising. Still, my weight budged no more than 5km in a 10 month period of time even though I spent every night for weeks at a time feeling like I'd just die. I had never been so ill and in so much pain in my life. More than a year later I still struggle with the side effects daily and at times, the fears and attitudes that come with eating disorders. It is mostly unseen to anyone except those closest to me. Even doctors have trouble taking me seriously or knowing what to look for because from the outside I look pretty well. It is the same case with other women in my family who have struggled with anorexia or bulimia.

[PegiiL]

If Emily is so obsessed over her weight and eats next to nothing then why when she is in hospital after her accident, when Andy has to tell her that she's not going to France, starts devouring a chocolate pudding and a massive dinner roll.

[Jorm]

If Emily is so obsessed over her weight and eats next to nothing then why when she is in hospital after her accident, when Andy has to tell her that she's not going to France, starts devouring a chocolate pudding and a massive dinner roll.

A lot of people with eating disorders go through phases of binging and purging. It's not always a consistent behaviour of barely eating.Eating disorders are complex.

[count tiszula]

The scene is parallelled in that Woody Allen film where he has a stomach complaint and is refusing all food, and using this as a reason to get out of performing that evening. As soon as he hears that he will no longer have to appear he starts greedily devouring the food he has just been unable to touch.

So in Devil, Emily's obsession with keeping thin is determined by her obsession with success in the fashion world. When she hears she has lost her place on the trip to Paris, she realises she has failed and is able, or willing, to eat again.

Whether this is common in anorexics I cannot say, though in my own case the Woody Allen example has often happened.....