A Photographer makes her directorial debut

If you're one of those lucky individuals who get HBO, be sure to check out the new documentary "Thin" tomorrow evening. Shot at a Florida clinic for women with eating disorders, and focusing on four patients of varying ages and social dispositions, the documentary will examine the nature of the eating disorder as more than just a "phase" experienced by young girls, but a far-reaching and devastating mental illness. The director, Lauren Greenfield, has worked as a photographer for years and has made famous exhibitions out of series like "Girl Culture," in which she captures moments from young women living their lives while commenting on their interaction with popular culture and their on bodies. The subject matter of "Thin" seems a perfect fit for the photographer.

"Thin" is airing just days after the National Institute of Mental Health publicly declared that anorexia nervosa, marked by poor appetite, excessive activity and a misconception that one is overweight, is a "brain disease" with a biological core. A lawsuit filed Wednesday in New Jersey against Aetna Inc. cites that assertion in challenging the insurer's refusal to fully cover anorexia treatment.

"That's the paradox of eating disorders," Greenfield notes. "In some ways we feel like it's similar to dieting, or that it looks like something we understand and that's even sanctioned in our culture. And on the other hand, it's so counterintuitive to our most basic survival instincts, to eating. It's so irrational."

"Thin" will air 9 pm, PST, on Tuesday, November 13. Knowing HBO, they will run frequent replays. Visit the site for details.