Emaciation is characterised by an extreme loss of subcutaneous fat that results in an abnormally lean body, such as with starvation it is an un-natural thinness of appearance which can be caused from a number of contributing factors such as malignant diseases, anorexia nervosa, severe malnourishment and starvation and eating disorders. 

In humans, the overall physical appearance of emaciation includes a thinning of the limbs, upper body and buttocks to an almost skeletal-seeming state with an apparent absence of fat and muscle tone. The skin is thin, dry and translucent in some areas of the body, to the point that veins beneath the skin are somewhat visible. The face is thin and drawn with a hopeless, vacant and distressed demeanour; the eye sockets are sunken, giving the eyes a bulging appearance. The scalp is bony with dry, withering hair that is lacking. On the torso, the collar bone, chest bone and ribs are quite pronounced; the stomach is bloated, which indicates gastrointestinal distress associated with nutritional depletion. The mouth and tongue may be excessively dry, or moist with the tongue thickly coated; there is usually strong halitosis, or foul breath.

There is great fatigue, inability and lack of physical effort in the emaciated. Mental efficiency, problem solving and reasoning are somewhat impaired. The emotional state of an emaciated individual is often poor; feelings of depression, hopelessness, fear, anxiety and worthlessness may prevail. A person who is emaciated is usually submissive, both mentally and physically, to the will of others. 

It is scary to think that just one of the causes of emaciation being starvation is claiming the lives of 16,000 children a day, in direct or indirect forms. Profound states of starvation can lead the body to simply shut down.

Emaciation in cinema

When looking at emaciation reflected in makeup for film, research and effects such as contouring of the face and body will be used along with, sallow skin effects, hair thinning, larger costumes, and for more extreme effects prosthetics or actor doubles may be required or even specific casting techniques. 

An example of an actor supporting the appearance of emaciation for their role could be Christian Bale in ‘The Machinist’ where he plays a factory worker whom suffers from insomnia so severe that his condition has taken its toll on his weight and his mental health. Christian Bale for this role lost a massive 65 pounds. Dining on only an apple and a can of tuna a day leading up to the beginning of production, Bale also curbed his appetite by relying on cigarettes.
This intense actor even wanted to lose five more pounds, but medical professionals warned him against it. They told him he would probably die if his weight got down any lower.

Another example is Matthew McConaughey whom talked about the unexpected side effects of his drastic weight loss for his Oscar-nominated role as an Aids patient in Dallas Buyers Club.

When Texan rodeo-riding electrician Ron Woodroof was diagnosed with HIV in 1985, aged 35, he was given 30 days to live.

He died seven years later, due to complications from Aids, in September 1992.

“Through pure rage and by any means necessary this guy did what he had to do to self-preserve and stay alive,” says Matthew McConaughey, who shed nearly 3st 7lb (47lb; 21kg) to play Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club. 

This reflects the sheer commitment to the roles and sensitivity and support actors apply in relation to supporting make-up effects to perceive a serious condition like this in a true to life view for the audience.

Weight gain
Weight gain is a condition caused by increased muscle mass, fat deposits and excess fluids such as water.

Weight gain has a latency period. Typical latency periods vary from 3 days to 2 weeks after ingestion. The effect that eating has on weight gain can vary greatly depending on factors such as the energy and density of foods, exercise regime , water intake, amount of salt content in food, time of day eaten, age, stress levels and water retention in ankles and feet.

The mechanism for excessive weight gain is clear—more calories are consumed than the body burns, and the excess calories are stored as fat (adipose) tissue. However, the exact cause is not as clear and likely arises from a complex combination of factors. Genetic factors significantly influence how the body regulates the appetite and the rate at which it turns food into energy (metabolic rate). Studies of adoptees confirm this relationship—the majority of adoptees followed a pattern of weight gain that more closely resembled that of their birth parents than their adoptive parents. A genetic predisposition to weight gain, however, does not automatically mean that a person will be obese. Eating habits and patterns of physical activity also play a significant role in the amount of weight a person gains. Recent studies have indicated that the amount of fat in a person’s diet may have a greater impact on weight than the number of calories it contains.

60% of adults in England are overweight or obese.

Excessive weight gain can also cause diseases such as heart disease, gallbladder disease and gallstones. Diabetes, Osteoarthritis, Gout and  breathing problems, such as sleep apnea (when a person stops breathing for short episodes during sleep) and asthma.

Weight gain in cinema

When looking at weight gain reflected in makeup for film, research and effects such as latex pieces and suits can be used along with painting effects using alcohol activated paint or PAX paint to match the pieces to the skin tone of the character. 

Renee Zellweger is a good example of a dedicated actress in regard to weight gain in film as she gained some weight for her work on Bridget Jones’s Diary, and did it again for the film’s sequel. Zellweger’s weight gain is perhaps one of the more famous in the history of actor transformations, as she gained 30 lbs. to portray the lovable heroine. Bridge Jones Diary was a hit upon release. It was so successful, in fact, that a sequel was made, with a third entry, Bridget Jones’s Baby brought out in recent weeks. Which again would also need to demonstrate weight gain effects possibly through a body suit piece.

Though it may seem like gaining weight for a role is a simple and maybe even enjoyable task, Zellweger was eventually concerned about the effects the weight gain could have on her body in the long run. Still, actors commit to roles in spite of the risks that they pose. Zellweger put on the weight for two separate films, and has reportedly done so again to reprise her character in the latest film. The first time, through, the choice really paid off. Zellweger was nominated for an Oscar for the part, in spite of the film’s classification as a romantic comedy.

Another example of effects using a bodysuit and prosthetics or latex pieces would be Eddie Murphy’s ‘The Nutty Professor’ Eddie plays grossly overweight professor Sherman Klump whom takes a special chemical that turns him into the slim but obnoxious Buddy Love. This movie is a comedy story consistently flashing to and from both effects of being slim to severely obese. Eddie played a total of 7 characters in the film all of different sizes of overweight family members.

To make the Klump family dinner table scenes work seamlessly, Murphy performed each role one at a time. While filming each new character, he would use an earpiece that played audio of himself as the Klump family members he’d already shot. He repeated this process for days until the entire scene was complete with each family member’s dialogue.

Academy award winning effects designer Rick Baker made an entire body cast of Murphy in order to create the lightweight, hand-carved eurothane foam and spandex suit that would make the actor appear 450 lbs. Other parts of the suit were filled with cellulose and water to make it move believably. It took three hours to apply the makeup each day for the entire 70-day shoot. Baker and his team went on to win the Academy Award for Best Makeup for The Nutty Professor.

In conclusion to both states in relation to make-up and effects it takes a great deal of research and specific skill set to achieve these highly believable characters to achieve an audiences perception and expectations in these cases and to create realism and illusion.