Examining the superpower-based representation of eating disorder illness and recovery with data mining of The Art of Starving

Abstract

Background There is evidence that fiction books about eating disorders can promote eating disorder development and maintenance, but it is not clear what literary features cause adverse impacts. We responded to this issue by exploring the impact of books representing eating disorder illness and recovery using superpowers. Methods This was done by drawing upon lessons from reader responses to Sam Miller's The Art of Starving. Three research questions were devised that focus on the impact of the book's superpower-based eating disorder representation. To determine reader responses to these questions, keyword-based data mining using Python, followed by a qualitative analysis, was performed on Goodreads reviews of The Art of Starving (n=632). Results It was found that most readers were drawn to the book for its fantasy or mental illness elements. This suggests that the book exposed readers to themes they would not have otherwise encountered. Eighty-one readers stated that The Art of Starving provokes eating disorder-oriented thoughts and behaviours, with one common theme among them being that readers with greater eating disorder symptoms are worse impacted. Eighty percent of readers felt this reaction to the book was influenced by its superpower-based eating disorder representation. Conclusions The research points to the potential of using superpowers in books to represent eating disorder illness and recovery to contribute to the prevalence of these conditions. This indicates that there is a need to be cautious when writing and recommending fantasy books exploring eating disorders.