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A recent article in the Los Angeles Times focused on how society can make positive changes by working through our social circles:

The old folk concept that our personal health behaviors rub off on those around us has received a staggering amount of scientific support of late. Over the last few years, study after study has shown that weight gain, drug and alcohol use, even loneliness and depression aren't islands unto themselves but are powerfully contagious — capable of spreading within our social networks just as germs scatter after a sneeze.

The process of using peer influence for good has been dubbed “The Social Cure” and has been used in successful anti-smoking and anti-drug campaigns.   

When I was in the beginning stages of forming a nonprofit to raise awareness about eating disorders, I got a distressing call from a senior girl at a local private school.  Having recovered from an eating disorder herself, she was acutely aware of the warning signs in others.  She was alarmed by what she was witnessing amongst the eighth grade girls. The most popular girl had started eating crackers and water for lunch.  Then her best friend joined her.  Soon there were four girls, then eight. Within a couple of weeks, any girls who brought a normal lunch to the table felt like a “fat pig.”   

“They’ve created a Cracker Club, and all the girls want to belong. Can you help?”

I look back and feel grateful for several things:

#1. This girl spotted the potential dangers in these seemingly harmless behaviors.

#2. Her school was tuned in enough to seek help.

 #3. She taught me about the power of social contagion. 

At that time, there were a number of one-woman shows traveling the country dealing with eating disorders. While these shows were excellent in their own right, I felt that teens themselves needed to be involved in a show, not just passive observers.  

I decided the ideal play would feature football players as well as drama kids and penned “What’s Eating Katie?” about a 13-year-old girl who struggles with an eating disorder.  Katie is a high achiever, one of the best and brightest.  She’s a perfectionist who wants to make everyone happy.

The Eating Disorder (ED) is played by an actor representing a separate character.  Audience members relate to Katie since we all have an internal negative voice; the only difference may be that Katie’s internal voice is meaner, more controlling and ultimately highly destructive.  (To bring it full circle, the play even includes a scene where Katie’s friends start a Cracker Club.)

Between scenes are hilarious “commercials,” spoofing the diet, fashion, fast food and fitness industries.  These scenes place Katie’s struggle within the wider cultural context.  By clearly showing the manipulations of the corporations that profit from making us fat, insecure and then thin again, teens will be better at critiquing the messages that lead to unhealthy behaviors (“You’ll be popular, loved and happy if you are THIN, no matter what the price!”)

By making these messages explicit, they have less power to influence attitudes and behaviors.  The other thing that makes these commercials particularly effective is that the director can cast football players, “geeks,” and beloved faculty members to play these cameo roles, thus opening up the show to include more members of the social network of the school, widening and deepening the impact.   

Over the past 15 years, high schools and colleges around the country (as well as Scotland and Australia!) have performed this play. Last year I updated the script to include cell phones and texting, Google and Facebook (none of which were around in 1996).

Recently I decided to bring the show to the next level by turning it into a musical.  A gifted actor-composer named Bryan Mercer is writing the music. We believe that the combination of my 20 years as a psychologist and his 30 years in musical theater will make the show both educational and entertaining.

Once the songs are complete, we’ll reach out through social media to promote this fresh, bold way for teens to combat weight stigma, body image issues and eating disorders. We’ll also approach local schools and community groups about performing the show in Atlanta in 2012.

This is a life-changing and potentially life-saving project. Ultimately, it encourages people to seek help because recovery is possible. We are funding this stage of the project through a website called Kickstarter.com.  If you want to be part of it, we’d love for you to join us!  The Kickstarter countdown ends October 20th.  Click here for more details:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1746338650/whats-eating-katie-the-musical?ref=live.

Dina Zeckhausen is a nationally-known clinical psychologist and author who specializes in treating eating disorders and body image in both adults and adolescents. She is a weekly columnist for ShareWiK.com. You can visit her on the web atdinazeckhausen.com and MyEdin.org.

More Dina Zeckhausen articles, click here.

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