Alyson Stoner’s Hunger Games Audition Prep Sent Her to Weight Loss Camp – Variety

Report on Alyson Stoner’s Memoir Excerpt and its Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction

A recent memoir excerpt from former child actor Alyson Stoner details the severe physical and psychological pressures endured while auditioning for a major film role. This account provides a critical case study for examining the entertainment industry’s alignment with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those concerning health, decent work, and institutional integrity.

Analysis of Health and Well-being (SDG 3)

Stoner’s experience highlights significant challenges to achieving SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

Physical and Mental Health Crisis

• Eating Disorders: Stoner reveals an ongoing struggle with an eating disorder, which was exacerbated by the perceived need to achieve a “characteristically thin” physique for the role of Katniss Everdeen.
• Extreme Training Regimen: At age 17 and already underweight, Stoner was permitted to attend a “medical weight loss camp” involving a severe calorie deficit and seven hours of daily exercise. This raises serious questions about the industry’s impact on the physical and mental health of young performers.
• Consequences of Rejection: The psychological toll of the audition process culminated in a binge-eating episode and severe distress upon failing to secure the role, demonstrating the profound mental health impacts of industry pressures.

Failure of Medical Oversight

The narrative exposes a failure of medical institutions to protect a minor’s health, directly contravening the principles of SDG 3.

1. An industry-referred doctor allegedly discovered a heart murmur in Stoner at age 10 but chose not to report it to avoid jeopardizing her work on a film production.
2. Medical professionals approved an extreme weight loss and exercise program for an underweight minor, prioritizing the demands of an acting role over established health protocols.

Decent Work and Institutional Accountability (SDG 8 & SDG 16)

The account serves as a powerful critique of labor practices within the entertainment industry, particularly concerning minors, and relates directly to SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth and SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

Violations of Decent Work Principles (SDG 8)

• Unsafe Working Conditions: The pressure to engage in physically harmful activities and the dismissal of a serious medical condition constitute a failure to provide a safe and secure working environment, a key target of SDG 8.
• Child Labor Concerns: The experiences detailed occurred when Stoner was a minor, highlighting systemic issues in the protection of child laborers within a high-pressure, results-driven industry.

Weak Institutional Safeguards (SDG 16)

The ability for medical and industry professionals to bypass standard health and safety protocols indicates a weakness in institutional accountability. Stoner’s reflection that “Hollywood must exist above medicine, above the law, and even above common sense” points to a systemic failure to build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions to protect vulnerable individuals.

Conclusion: A Call for Industry Reform Aligned with SDGs

Alyson Stoner’s testimony underscores a significant disconnect between standard practices in the entertainment industry and the global objectives for sustainable development. Her experience illustrates direct conflicts with the following goals:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: Compromised by the normalization of eating disorders and extreme physical regimens, and the failure of medical oversight.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: Undermined by unsafe working conditions and inadequate protections for child performers.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: Challenged by a lack of institutional accountability and the prioritization of production demands over legal and ethical duties of care.

This case study emphasizes the urgent need for stronger regulations and ethical frameworks within the industry to ensure the health, safety, and rights of all workers, especially minors, are protected in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • The article’s central theme is Alyson Stoner’s struggle with an eating disorder, a serious mental and physical health condition. It details the severe physical and psychological toll of her “brutal diet and exercise regimen,” including being “drastically underweight,” experiencing “dizzy spells and blackouts,” and suffering from a “full-body emergency alarm for food.” This directly relates to ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being.

2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • The article highlights unsafe working conditions, particularly for a minor in the entertainment industry. A doctor ignored a heart murmur because it “might stop the production company from letting you work,” prioritizing employment over health. This points to a failure to protect labor rights and promote a safe working environment, which is a core component of SDG 8.

3. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • The pressure Stoner felt was linked to portraying a “strong female lead” who was “characteristically thin.” This reflects the societal and industry pressures placed on women and girls regarding physical appearance and body image, which is a barrier to gender equality and the empowerment of women.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being. The article is a clear case study of the challenges in promoting mental health (addressing an eating disorder) and preventing the physical consequences (heart murmur, effects of starvation) associated with it.
   • Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including access to quality essential health-care services. The article illustrates a failure of this target when a doctor provides negligent care by ignoring a heart murmur and approving an extreme weight loss camp for an underweight minor, demonstrating a lack of “quality” and “safe” healthcare.

2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers. The narrative shows a direct violation of this target. Stoner, a minor at the time, was subjected to an unsafe environment where medical professionals and industry pressures encouraged dangerous practices for the sake of a job, failing to protect her health and safety.

3. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • Target 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere. The intense pressure to achieve a specific, unhealthy body type for a female role can be interpreted as a form of systemic pressure and a harmful standard that disproportionately affects women and girls in media, contributing to broader gender inequality.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. For SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being)

   • Implied Indicator: Prevalence of eating disorders and poor mental health among adolescents and young adults, especially within high-pressure environments like the entertainment industry. Stoner’s personal account serves as a qualitative data point for this issue.
   • Implied Indicator: Instances of medical negligence or failure to provide quality healthcare. The doctor’s decision to ignore a heart murmur and approve a dangerous weight-loss regimen for a minor is a specific example that could be tracked to measure failures in healthcare quality (Target 3.8).

2. For SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)

   • Implied Indicator: Frequency of health and safety violations in the workplace, particularly concerning child labor. The article provides a clear instance of a minor’s health being compromised for a potential job, which serves as an indicator for the lack of safe working environments (Target 8.8).

3. For SDG 5 (Gender Equality)

   • Implied Indicator: Prevalence of harmful gender stereotypes related to body image in media and entertainment. The requirement for the character of Katniss to be “characteristically thin” and the extreme measures taken to achieve this look is an indicator of the persistence of these damaging standards for female roles (Target 5.1).

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: variety.com