Do I Look Fat :: reviews

"the most interesting—and complex—documentary at this year's [Portland LGBT Film] festival"

—Willamette Week, Portland's News Weekly

"A compelling introduction to the struggles many gay men face in their relationship with food."

—Marc Breindel, Gay.com * Read the full review at Gay.com

“Do I Look Fat addresses body image issues in the gay community in a stirring and poignant way. The film addresses the issues directly from those affected, which makes it more meaningful. The health issues interlaced with personal messages have impact and power. This is a compelling film, one of the best made about eating disorders and a powerful piece of media for the gay community."

—Penny D. Winkle, LISW, LPCC
Eating Disorder Specialist
The Ohio State University

"Achieves the filmmaker’s intent—to promote awareness and healing."

—Mitch Rustad, GayHealth.com * Read the full review at GayHealth.com

"... will help individuals and their families more accurately conceptualize the root causes of eating disorder symptoms. The men who tell their stories in this captivating film poignantly captures how gay men may still struggle with self-acceptance, and how far health care providers have yet to go in understanding and treating these illnesses."

—Daniel Garza MD * Read the full review here

"I could relate to everything each man said and described about themselves, not only as a gay man who has had eating disordered issues, but as a psychotherapist working with gay men with these same problems. My feeling is that this documentary should be seen by gay men and women and physicians to promote awareness and healing. More doctors than I care to mention told me that I couldn't possibly have an eating disorder because I wasn't a woman. That says it all."

—Brian Wolfe, MFT

"Candid, refreshing and timely. Mathews’ documentary breaks the silence on another controversial issue facing a community usually renowned for confronting difficult issues head on."
—Montreal Intl LGBT Film Festival

"Timely topic. Very much needed to inform therapists to look and listen and question men's relationships to their bodies and food and not be afraid to go there less they end up colluding with issues of secrecy and shame."

"Groundbreaking! I predict this work will be the start of seminal work for males who have eating disorders."

"This was an excellent presentation and a wonderful topic sorely in need of greater coverage."

"Travis' material, skill, passion and technical accomplishment are extremely impressive. His work needs to be seen by many more people."

"Wonderful to see the inclusion of LGBT eating disorders at the conference."

—Clinical participants
The 15th Annual Renfrew Center Foundation Eating Disorder Conference

"At the core of this documentary is the complex issue of body image as it affects gay and bisexual men. . . Travis illustrates this unique film with compelling personal stories about a subject that has long been overlooked yet remains at the core of who we are as men and how we find acceptance. I hope this compelling work will inspire us to look at who we are and how we measure our value in the community and the world."

—Marcel Miranda, Gay/Bi Men's Program, Glide Health Services

"As bisexual and gay men we are put in a situation at an early age where we must learn to accept ourselves when society sends us much different contradictory messages. This documentary highlights the impact of such developmental confusion by telling the stories of bisexual and gay males. Their stories truly illustrate that the pressures related to sexual orientation are so strong that many frequently resort to unhealthy coping strategies. I highly recommend this documentary to anyone who is bisexual or gay, or whom knows anyone who is. This film leads the way in jump-starting an important discussion about internal-acceptance and common dysfunctional views on eating and body image."

—Shaun Adrian Flatt, Human Development Student \ GLBT Researcher

"We see that the issues for gay men are not that different from those women have been struggling with for many years, i.e. trying to find meaningful relationships in a society which emphasizes outer appearance over inner substance. Desperately craving love and acceptance, these men spend their lives trying to beautify their bodies in search of something they will never get from the superficial encounters these efforts will generate. We hear about their traumatic past, their difficulty being different in a world that encourages sameness, and their own internalized homophobia. We see them using food as a substitute for the nurturance they never got as children growing up in a homophobic society. But finally we see ourselves in the very difficult struggles involved in being a human being in the 21st century.

I highly recommend this documentary for mental health professionals and therapists, as well as for the lay public and anyone who wants to better understand their sons and daughters as well as themselves."

—Judye Hess, PhD, Family Therapist

"A controversial and intimate look at gay male society through it's eating, drug and sex disorders. Through its deconstruction Travis Mathews lays the groundwork for healing a community who often times does not want to look at its destruction for fear of backlash from the straight community. Travis takes a brave step uncovering a darkside of the San Francisco gay community in hopes of igniting change, healing pain, and bringing these issues to light. I personally was moved deeply by this film and it left me with a sense that my gay boys were going to deal with their issues and heal. the only way to enact change is to stay alive."

—Angie Leonino, Filmmaker