Can't Stop Eating (documentary)

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Can't Stop Eating[1] is a 2006 documentary that follows the lives of several sufferers of Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS).

It is set in Gretton House, near Kettering in England, which is a government funded care home deliberately constructed to assist people with PWS.

[edit] Plot Summary

The main focus is on a new resident, Joe Blackburn, who is 23 and begins the documentary weighing over 30 stone and with fears for his health. The plot follows his struggle to integrate with existing members of the home. Since PWS often causes immaturity, the early stages of the documentary show Joe having a variety of tantrums, which have been exploited for humorous value on such sites as YouTube. However, Joe responds well to treatment, and ends up much calmer by the end of the program.

The second resident that the documentary focuses on is Tamara Allwood, who was at one point close to death from overeating but by the time of filming has gained enough autonomy to gain the rights to visit her mother in London. She has become estranged from her mother, who has never properly understood Tamara's illness, which was diagnosed relatively late in her life. The meeting is unsuccessful. However, Tamara is also hopeful by the end of the documentary, as she gets back together with an old boyfriend, who vows to protect her from her desire to eat.