Natalie Portman lost 20 pounds for her movie role as a ballerina, and now some are trying to follow in her footsteps in what's being called the Black Swan diet. INSIDE EDITION has the story that's causing controversy.
Is the new movie Black Swan encouraging anorexia?
Actress Natalie Portman lost 20 pounds and became super thin to play a ballerina that's generating Oscar® buzz.
But one blogger calls the movie "eating disorder porn." And a psychologist worries that Black Swan makes anorexia seem glamorous.
Dr. Judith Brisman, Director of the Eating Disorder Resource Center said, "It is really dangerous. Because the second you see Natalie Portman, who's incredibly beautiful, the second you see her 20 pounds lighter, it sets an incredible bar in our culture."
The movie is inspiring websites which, believe it or not, some say, actually promote anorexia.
"Get your thinspiration from the movie Black Swan!!!" says one called thinspome.
"Follow Natalie on what inspires her to lose weight," is the headline on superskinnyus.
And the website mydailythinspo promotes "Natalie Portman's Black Swan workout."
Dr. Brisman said, "People go onto them and think, 'Oh, I can lose weight like this. I can lose weight like Natalie Portman.' "
Portman says she's already gained back the weight she lost after training for her role for one whole year.
One real-life ballerina knows firsthand about the pressure on dancers to stay thin. Jennifer Ringer, who dances in the New York City ballet's production of "The Nutcracker" was the target of a lowball comment by a New York Times reviewer who wrote she, "Looked as if she'd eaten one sugar plum too many."
Ringer, who suffered from anoxeria as a teenager, responded on the Today Show, saying, "I'm not overweight. I do have, I guess, a more womanly body type than the stereotypical ballerina."
