ED UNIT

1 x 60 C4 11pm First Cut

Eating Disorders affect o er 1!6mi""ion peop"e in t#e U$ and num%ers are increasing! In&patient care is often t#e "ast resort' t#e start of a "ife&c#anging process' (it# reco er) comes freedom! T#is documentar) offers unri a""ed access to a mixed&sex (ard* pro iding a uni+ue insig#t into t#ose (#o "i e and (or, on t#e Eating Disorder Unit!

Eating Disorders are nothing new, but they're not going away either. The number of people treated for Eating Disorders in hospitals in England rose 8% last year, with dramatic increases in males and females, young and old. Healthcare treatment for Eating Disorders doesn't come cheap, costing around 8 !" million per year ! #ut where does the money go$ %ho benefits$ &nd does in!patient treatment actually wor'$ %e ha(e gained e)clusi(e access to *ussell House, a mi)ed!se), +,!bed specialised Eating Disorder ser(ice at -headle *oyal Hospital in -heshire. .et within pictures/ue, leafy gardens and ironically shadowed by a huge gym, the unit employs o(er , staff who wor' together to treat adult sufferers of &nore)ia, #ulimia and ED01. 2Eating Disorder 0ot 1therwise .pecified3. 1(er a period of 4 months, we will follow three 'ey characters at staggered stages of their 5ourney towards reco(ery. %e'll begin with one sufferer before admission, capturing their feelings of fear, apprehension or relief at the prospect of going into treatment. &nother 'ey character will be mid!way through treatment6 settled, safe and stable but still struggling with coming to terms with life!sa(ing yet illogically terrifying weight!restoration. 7inally, we'll follow a patient who's progressing well and wor'ing towards discharge6 we'll see them ma'ing plans to go it alone and witness their first few wee's of freedom. How will each of the patients cope when the rules, restrictions and routines they'(e controlled themsel(es are ta'en away completely$ How will they react to weight!gain, something they ha(e li(ed in fear of and a(oided for months or e(en years$ How do

nurses, doctors, psychologists and dieticians treat those who, by the (ery nature of their illness, don't want to be treated$ 8ltimately, what does it ta'e to reco(er from an Eating Disorder and what does reco(ery bring to someone who may ha(e ne(er seen a way to be truly free$

ED Unit
*ussell House treats adults aged "8 and o(er, both male and female and from a wide range of bac'grounds 9 most patients are 0H.!funded but some are pri(ate and some are under section whilst others are there (oluntarily. .trong casting would be paramount and would reflect the di(ersity of those who li(e with eating disorders, rather than conforming to e)isting stereotypes. %e will ta'e time to build up trusting relationships with our 'ey characters and the teams who treat them to enable us to create a raw, honest and dramatic documentary. 8sing a mi) of actuality, fi)ed camera footage and green!screen inter(iews, 'ED 8nit' will pro(ide a sensiti(e and warm insight into the intricate and often illogical world of eating disorders and the treatment of them. :ac'ed with emotional battles and conflicts of interest, this one!off documentary will ta'e us on a 5ourney of disco(ery, teaching us things we ne(er 'new about Eating Disorders and gi(ing (iewers a rare loo' inside a unit sa(ing li(es e(ery day. #eginning with the initial (ulnerability of those admitted into the Eating Disorder 8nit, we'll see our main characters grow as indi(iduals at they fight against their illness and gradually redisco(er their true personalities. 7rom psychiatrists and physiotherapists to doctors and nurses, and chefs and dieticians to art therapists and yoga trainers, we'll be pri(y to honest accounts gi(en to us by those who wor' with and treat some of the most challenging patients. ;n inter(iews throughout the months of filming, they'll answer /uestions you'd ne(er thin' to as' 9 'How is your 5ob rewarding when you see the same faces returning time and time again$' 2up to < % of adults with anore)ia relapse, many within the first year after treatment3. '%hy is e)ercise encouraged when it often plays a part in the illness$' &nd '%hat's it li'e to coo' for someone who doesn't want to eat$' These thoughtful inter(iews will pro(ide respite from the intensity of the unit and offer interesting and at times humorous perspecti(es on the people behind their diagnoses. Eating Disorders aren't pretty. ;n fact, they're the most deadly of all mental illnesses. Howe(er, =4% of people treated for &nore)ia or #ulimia go on to ma'e a full reco(ery and around a third find a way to li(e and wor' with their illness 9 where they control their illness rather than it controlling them. This documentary and the strong, intelligent characters which steer it ma'e for hard!hitting, eye!opening and highly emotional (iewing, but it isn't all doom and gloom. .ometimes, if you don't laugh, you'll cry 9 it's certainly not all tears and tantrums on the ED 8nit. There's always time for wheelchair races, bed!pan wars and 'arao'e contests to ma'e your ears bleed> ED 8nit is about food and weight and the o(erwhelming power they ha(e o(er some, but more than that, it's about the people and their strength of character abo(e all odds.