Starvation Heights is based upon the true story of "Dr" Linda Hazzard's Washington sanitorium. To say that what occurred in 1911 in Olalla Washington was disturbing may be an understatement. Linda Hazzard was a pioneer in the "fasting treatment," which she used to prey upon the wealthy and sick. In 1911 two sisters came to Ms. Hazzard for treatment. The women soon became emaciated shells of their former selves. One died after being fasted for several months. Luckily for the surviving sister, help came and she was able to escape. With the aid of her former nanny and a sympathtic lawyer, she was able to bring Linda Hazzard to justice.
What disturbed me the most about this story was the ego of Ms. Hazzard, coupled with her ability to manipulate these impressionable young women. Throughout her trial, Ms. Hazzard stood by her methodology, which included starving patients for up to 50 days. She also stood by her story that Claire Williamson, who died during treatment, left her significant fortune to the Hazzards. It is almost difficult to remember, while reading this story of greed and malice, that it actually occurred. Olalla, Washington is a real place (incidently the author lives there) and there is a series of death records which attribute death to starvation at the hands of Ms. Hazzard. To me, this story serves as an important reminder to be wary of easy fixes and untested treatments. It is astonishing what a so-called healer can be capable of and how easily people may be swayed to trust them.
5/8/12 Update: Just in case you think that something like this could never happen in our modern world, a Swiss woman died after following a diet in which she attempted to survive on light alone after viewing a documentary supporting such a possibility. The practice, in which you survive on spiritual intake rather than food, is known as breatharianism. At least four deaths have been linked to the practice.
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