ANAD Launches The Wrestler, A Hand-Crafted Film Exposing Social Media's Role in Eating Disorders
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CHICAGO - illiNews -- In recognition of Eating Disorders Awareness Week (February 23-27), ANAD and four creative partners have launched The Wrestler—a short film exposing how social media fuels eating disorders in children.

Every single day, children are exposed to nearly 3,000 algorithm-driven posts on social media platforms. For those at higher risk for developing eating disorders, these personalized feeds can have devastating consequences. Eating disorders in children under 17 have doubled since 2018.

Inspired by real social media content, The Wrestler follows a child navigating pressures such as influencer culture, peer comparison, and societal expectations around body image. The film is based on an idea from the Omnicom Health agency, Remedy Edge (formerly Patients & Purpose), with animation by Koi Factory, music by Mophonics, and sound design by Pomman Sound.

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"The Wrestler paints a picture of what it's like to be a young teen who is facing an eating disorder in today's world of social media," said Kristen Portland, Executive Director of ANAD. "It also tells an important story about the courage and resilience it takes to heal."

Eating disorders can be lifelong. That's where the concept of The Wrestler began. "We wanted to explore an angle that isn't talked about enough," says Ilyssa Berger Wilson, Group Creative Director at Remedy Edge (formerly Patients & Purpose). "The ending line, 'eating disorders are something people can wrestle with for life,' is not pessimistic. It's honest. Recovery isn't crossing a finish line. It's showing up for yourself again and again."

"Eating disorders are multifaceted conditions that manifest differently in each person." Dr. Erin Knopf, child psychiatrist, pediatrician, and co-founder of VERY (Virtual Eating Disorder Recovery for You) noted. "What The Wrestler does so powerfully is show how eating disorders fuel that destructive inner voice—and then visualizes how those individual voices come together to create an overwhelming force. The film captures something we've struggled to articulate: the complex, layered nature of these conditions in the digital age."

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The Wrestler is about more than just raising awareness. It's about driving change. In 2021, investigations revealed that some social media platforms were aware that their algorithms could contribute to harm. But these reports have yet to drive meaningful change. There is still a lot of work to be done to protect today's children.

In 2024, the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSMA) was introduced in the US to protect children from harmful algorithms and ensure default privacy settings. This bill has been on hold—and children's mental health is still at stake. ANAD, with guidance from the Eating Disorders Coalition, is urging constituents to reach out to their representatives about KOSMA.

Visit thewrestler.org to learn more, access resources, and contact local representatives about protecting children online.