It is only right that after shining the spotlight on all sorts of bizarre addictions and disorders, cable TV turns its attention to one of the more prevailing disorders in our country: anorexia.
Today the Daily Beast highlighted a new TV program called "Starving Secrets," a Lifetime reality show featuring real individuals suffering from anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders.
The show's host, former "Growing Pains" actress and recovering anorexic Tracey Gold, will work with a team of specialists each week to help the show's cast members deal with their disorders and seek treatment.
Gold is well equipped to help from her years of experience, she said:
"20 years ago when I became ill with anorexia, there was very little information available to me. The people and stories in my show will portray the horror and loneliness we experience in battling this terrible disease. Whether you know a wife, husband, son, daughter or friend in trouble, you will learn some very hard lessons and also see that for some, like me, there is light at the end of the tunnel."
It is comforting to see eating disorders brought to the forefront; despite the loud public discussion on the country's sky-rocketing obesity rate, there are still those who are too skinny. Along these lines, Marie Claire highlighted the issue in an in-depth feature this summer called "Starvation Nation."
A magazine piece is one thing, however -- a TV show is another. Not the first attempt at televising eating disorders (in 2010 E! aired the show "What's Eating You?"), "Starving Secrets" will hopefully strike the right chord and remain informative and enlightening without being voyeuristic.
We also hope the vulnerable girls can handle the constant TV cameras. One cast member, Rivka, told the Daily Beast that it was hard to put her disease on display: "I don't want to be associated with an eating disorder. It's not something that I feel very proud about."
How will this foray into televised eating disorders work out? Watch the first of six "Starving Secrets" episodes on Lifetime on December 20.
