Not only does this reinforce the biases that already prompt many people to struggle with physical and mental health issues, many women watching the film will see themselves more in the “before” version of Brittany than the “after” one, as NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly and New York Magazine’s Madison Malone Kircher point out. But because we’re seeing Brittany through her own unforgiving eyes, the camera also seems to urge us to scan Brittany’s body for flaws-to feel her disgust vicariously when she deems herself unattractive, and to feel a sense of victory when she looks in the mirror and takes satisfaction in the changes to her body. These moments give the audience insight into the depths of Brittany’s self-judgement. In another scene, she flips through photographs of herself at a race, repelled by the sight of her double chin. When she first tries to go for a run, Brittany catches a glimpse of her distorted reflection in a hot-dog cart, and is so repulsed that she turns back. These stand in stark contrast to shots of Brittany looking at herself at her heaviest. And to earn more money for cross-training at the gym and other marathon-related expenses, Brittany gets a house-sitting gig-which leads her to a guy she’s first aggravated by and then, inevitably, attracted to, a directionless charmer named Jern (Utkarsh Ambudkar). Since she’s got to wake up early for runs, she cuts back on the drinking and starts getting more sleep. They decide to train for the New York City marathon together, a goal that becomes increasingly meaningful to Brittany as a symbol of her ability to take control of her life. She joins a running group, where she finds friends who actually care about her. The allure of metamorphosisįrom the moment Brittany’s sneakers first touch the pavement, good things happen. And so, with genuine, relatable fear-working out in public can be intimidating, particularly when you have a body that tends to be the target of scrutiny and criticism-Brittany starts jogging. Brittany, however, hasn’t been prioritizing nutrition and exercise. The movie is careful to have the doctor acknowledge that some people are fat because of genetics or thyroid issues, and that it’s possible to be both fat and healthy. “You want me to pull a medium-sized working dog off of my body.” “That’s the weight of a Siberian husky,” Brittany notes wryly. He instructs her to lose between 45 and 55 pounds.

Instead, the doctor declares that he’s worried about her BMI (an oft-criticized measure of health, for what it’s worth), as well as her high blood pressure and elevated resting heart rate.

Brittany’s weight emerges as a central plot point when she pays a visit to the doctor in an attempt to get an illicit Adderall prescription.

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