Shameful diseases

Original title: Embarrassing Bodies Production and year: United Kingdom, since 2008 Genre: documentary Cast: Christian Jessen, Ashley Jensen, Dawn Harper, Pixie McKenna Description: "Embarrassing Bodies" is a documentary series that follows a team of doctors as they meet with patients suffering from various distressing conditions. Most patients have been hiding their health issues from the rest of the world for years. The series features both largely cosmetic issues, such as asymmetrical breasts or decayed teeth, as well as very serious illnesses that sometimes manifest in unusual ways. One example is a girl who had been struggling for years with numerous warts on her feet, which had grown so large that they prevented her from walking. The doctors on the team decided to investigate the cause of this condition—it turned out that the girl suffers from severe immunodeficiency. An interesting aspect of the series for a young medical student is that, unlike most programs of this type, the creators do not focus exclusively on the psychological aspects of the patients’ conditions or their social functioning. The series presents the basic facts about each disease, information on its causes, and treatment, step by step. The camera accompanies the patient into operating rooms and the offices of consulting physicians. The doctors on the team also engage in medical education among various groups, not focusing solely on the most commonly discussed issues and not shying away from taboo topics. They discuss, for example, how certain behaviors in the bathroom can help prevent proctological diseases and many other topics that are not often addressed. Although I haven’t watched practically anything on TV for several years, I’ve been making an exception for a while now. This series is practically unavailable online, but for the content it presents, I patiently endure the annoying commercial breaks. I recommend it.