Lauren Greenfield: THIN

 "Thin" is an in depth photographic documentation about the treatment of eating disorders. Thin provides a window into the complicated and difficult process of treatment, the culture of rehab and the experience of struggling with an eating disorder.

In therapy the residents in the facility were made to eat "fear food" such as Pop Tarts, doughnuts and candy bars and then discuss their feelings afterwards.

Where an image such as this could be easily staged the clear emotions that Greenfield captures on the faces of her subjects give us an immense sense of sympathy for what is occurring in this particular moment in time.

The residents in the facility are on a regulated meal plan and their individual therapists check their plates after each meal to ensure a sufficient amount of food has been consumed by each patient.

An image like this is incredibly powerful because it essentially shows the cause of the problem and the result. The initial cause was obviously food leading to poor self image and the effect is the brittle figure shown by this poor woman's bony hands. This creates a powerful self-telling image that leaves the viewer awestruck.

"Lauren Greenfield Photography - Thin Photographs." Lauren Greenfield Photography - Thin Photographs. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2013.