There are over 11
million people struggling with an anorexic or bulimic eating disorder in
the U.S. The National
Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders states that 25% of
college aged women have binged and purged in order to manage their weight. Men are not immune to this illness, and in
fact, 1 and 10 men are struggling with an eating disorder. Unfortunately, many of these women and men
will not seek help.
Recently, I learned about a movement known as Pro-Ana. This movement celebrates anorexia nervosa and
other eating disorders. Some of you may
already be familiar with it, but for those of you who are not, Pro-Ana and
Pro-Mia are movements that promote the eating disorders known as anorexia nervosa
and bulimia nervosa, respectively. Both
of these terms are often times used interchangeably. Bottom line, they both promote eating
disorders as a “lifestyle”… not a mental illness.
I was sadly disappointed to find numerous websites containing
blogs written by young women sharing a step by step guide to dropping extreme
amounts of weight. One site even
included 71 Pro-Mia tips for viewers to follow. These bloggers track their own progress (or their
unfortunate battle with the illness) by posting pictures of themselves, as well
as logging what their weight was before, what it is currently, and the weight
they are hoping to attain. Some sites even act as a vehicle for Pro-Ana and Pro-Mia
followers, allowing them to connect and communicate to one another about their struggle
to become extremely thin.
An eating disorder is a very serious mental illness and it
should not be promoted or celebrated. Recently,
some blogging websites, such as Pinterest have banned Pro-Ana forums, and fortunately,
others are following. While there is no
specific evidence that the Pro-Ana websites are influencing people who are
struggling with the illness, a survey of teens suggested that at least 40% had
visited a Pro-Ana/Pro-Mia website.
If you or someone you
know may have an eating disorder, please talk to someone immediately. Please know that help is available. The National Eating Disorders Association
(NEDA) Helpline is 1-800-931-2237.
I have never heard of Pro-Ana until I read your article, so thank you for sharing! This is so disappointing and sad to read about though. It is known among most young women that to be thin is a desirable trait to have although it may be difficult. The unhealthiest way to lose weight is for someone to starve himself or herself and it saddens me that there is a movement trying to encourage doing so. Hopefully more of the websites supporting this movement can be banned because this displays a very dangerous message.
ReplyDeleteYes, I was quite suprised to learn of it too. I agree, it is very sad and I hope people who are suffering will seek the help they need as it is a very serious matter. Thanks for reading.
ReplyDeleteI have read many pro-ana websites over the years. When reading these forums it is evident that many of the participants have underlying issues. It seemed to me that most of the people writing on these pages were lonely and depressed. Many of them seemed to be searching for a connection online because they feel alienated and unaccepted in "real" life. It is sad that these people have created communities to support each other in their unhealthy habits but I can understand why they exist. I think that most girls and boys who develop an eating disorder simply long to be accepted. Perhaps instead of banning these sites health professionals and people who have lived through a similar experience can access the site and try to positively influence the participants.
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