Pro Anorexia !!??

[Myst]

I think this has been brought up before here, but I thought I'd mention it again. A commercial mentioning the existence of pro Anorexia sites and communities spurred me to do a quick search. I'm really frightened by some of what I found! These all include motivational information and tips for being anorexic!

Anorexia Palace - Planet Bones - http://communities.msn.ca/anorexiapalace/home.htm

BlankGirl (ack check out all the pictures on the front page [warning, nudity]) -
http://communities.msn.ca/Blankgirl/home.htm

an article - http://inq.philly.com/content/inquirer/2001/08/25/front_page/ANO25.htm

(incidentally I noticed a lot of the entries that showed up from the search engine are of sites that are no longer at their current address. I wonder if they were removed by the hosts or the people who made them, or someone else?)

[Margie]

Oprah did a show on this. She didn't show the URL's but she did show some pictures from the sites and some journal/thread exerpts. It is disturbing but I suppose is protected by free speech. It's very sad and unfortunate. I know I for one have a tendancy towards eating disorders and I just can't imagine the sense behind these "fan clubs" for anorexia and bullimia...it's very sad.

[kittiepoetrygod]

I heard that it was because of the Oprah show that they did ... all the bad publicity.

I think its also pretty terrible that people make those websites ... expecially ones like the blank girl thing, which have kiddie porn type things, i guess is what it would be called. I mean, come on, one of these days the girl is going to snease and break her hips. I hope they get shut down soon ... its pretty digusting, it seems to me.

[Shy Hawk]

Wow...those sites are really disturbing. I wonder if young girls really read that stuff and go "yeah, that's it, I want to be anorexic". I was under the impression that most people hid things like that....

Then again, I used to know a girl that was bulimic, and her hair all fell out....and she was very "out" about her habits. So...maybe I'm wrong...

[MammaStar]

I was so thin as a teen. My brother used to call me Anorexic all the time, & because our Mom didn't pay much attention, I probably was. I hid in bulky clothes constantly. I had passed out on several occassion for lack of eating, & still do from time to time now. But now, I'm not that thin, in fact I'm opposite. While I'm not severly obse, I am overweight by 20 lbs. THAT is a medical fact given to me by my doctor.

Those sites are terrible. Young girls have enough self image issues, putting these sites up just add to it all.

[Myst]

My mom accused me of being bulimic and anorexic all the time when I was in highschool. Sometimes I'd just forget to eat. Yes not eating at all could make you skinny, but if it does it'll leave you emaciated with no muscle tone whatsoever like those girls, or it'll actually make you GAIN weight because your body will be in starvation mode. I was shocked at those sites. I'm sure girls with anorexia are just looking for someone who understands how they feel, but I wish people wouldn't encourage that self destructive behaviour.

[Silver Venus]

That is really horrifying! :( Its just so awful when you know you cant do anything to help friends effected ~ Ive known two girlfriends from School who used to be in starvation competition with each other and they still are so very thin and surviving on nothing ~ it really pulls at you heart and makes you so angry doesnt it :mad:

[Twilight Garden]

Being a former anorexic myself... I am OUTRAGED! These people must not understand what they are dealing with. I got down to 65 lbs @ 5'3" and was dying when I was 16. I've recovered, but it took a while. I've (thankfully) stayed a steady 110-120 lbs for the past 6-7 years and I eat like there is no tomorrow. :) These people are unbelievable.

[Laiste]

Just when you think you've seen it all...up pops sites like these!!

I read some of the posts on the first link...I can't believe they are giving eachother pointers and encouraging one another to starve themselves to death!! Sick @#%$@!@ crap!!!

The second link...I didn't even get past the home page...too sick for me!

It's very frightening and sad. :(

[seawitch]

exactly what i was thinking laiste, thought i had seen it all my heart breaks for those women

[mol]

Originally posted by Shy Hawk
I wonder if young girls really read that stuff and go "yeah, that's it, I want to be anorexic". I was under the impression that most people hid things like that....

Of course! For every piece of propaganda there are numerous people that will take it to heart.

[willowfairy]

I could never be anorexic.... I like food too much! But it's sad what people (mostly just girls, am I right?) would do that to their body.

[Margie]

Yes mostly girls but there ARE men/boys who are also. Weather plagued by body image or peer pressure.

[Maggie]

Originally posted by Margie
Yes mostly girls but there ARE men/boys who are also. Weather plagued by body image or peer pressure.

I don't have the nerve to look at those sites, but yes there are boys who do this. My son was chubby in junior high school, and went severely the other way when he went to high school. I finally caught him out about his 'diet'--he was eating mostly cheerios and water. I dragged him to the doctor (he liked and trusted her) and that stopped pretty much. I found my daughter and her friends were discussing diets in fourth grade........

Regards,

Maggie

[Dellit Tandannon]

Originally posted by Margie
Weather plagued by body image or peer pressure.

is it raining? hehe.
eating disorders definately effect both genders

[Margie]

Originally posted by Dellit Tandannon


is it raining? hehe.
eating disorders definately effect both genders

:mad: BAH-I was making a statement, not asking for an English lesson. We can go there-but it'd be off topic.

[Sequoia]

Originally posted by willowfairy
I could never be anorexic.... I like food too much! But it's sad what people (mostly just girls, am I right?) would do that to their body.

I always thought that LOL

I'm not really anorexic or anything, but when I become depressed or extremely stressed out I just don't want to eat. I feel sick and I don't eat. And for a while there, my self confidance was so bad I was convinced I looked like I was scarfing down everything in site, when I really wasn't eating that much. . . still have that problem. I just have to listen to my tummy! if it says "FEED ME" i just listen the best I can. . .^^;; hehe that, and my friends get real annoyed when I don't eat much hehe.

but sites like that are sickening. I'm glad the links don't work anymore. It's just wrong.

[Danustouch]

Loss of appetite is a very common effect of depression, and stress. Puma, your friends are probably more concerned with the REASON you are not eating, than the fact that you are not eating. As long as it isnt' a prolonged period, it's not even close to anorexia. I mean..people do Fast religiously, and are fine, too, ya know?

I think every woman looks at herself in the mirror sometimes, and thinks she looks bad, or that she's overweight. The difference between this, and anorexia, though...is that with anorexia, they look in the mirror, and they see an image which is so distorted from reality. In otherwords...LITERALLY, they'll see an image which seems TWICE the size of what they REALLY are. The same works in reverse, btw. Or so my doctor told me years ago. He "tested" me for overeating disorder, because i'd gained weight so quickly. He had me look at myself in the mirror, and he asked what I saw. I told him quite honestly..."My a$$ is HUGE, my tummy's round...Basically, I look like one of those paintings of the classical Roman big women....you know the ones...". He laughed, and said I was fine..no mental disorder. He told me if I'd thought I was slim, upon looking at myself in the mirror, it might suggest an eating disorder :)

So...nope..you're no where near real anorexia. So I wouldn't be concerned too much if you miss a meal or two. Just try to deal with WHY you've missed those meals :)

[Niamh]

My brother was very anorexic as a teen ager, and is still recovering. A long uphill battle.

One of my favorite television shows, "Boston Public," recently dedicated an episode to pro-anorexia issues. I think they tackled it quite well.

I knew there were people who were pro, but wasn't aware of how wide spread it was until I saw the show.

[Chibi-Fallon]

It's kinda sad really. I mean aren't things like these almost always a power or attention issue? These poor people. I feel really bad for them. People shouldn't yell at them but try to understand. That's really what they need IMHO. Someone to make them feel like they're special and worth something. Most of the time their self-esteem is in the toilet so they need someone to tell them that they are loved and are worth it.

[Faery-Wings]

Originally posted by Niamh
My brother was very anorexic as a teen ager, and is still recovering. A long uphill battle.

One of my favorite television shows, "Boston Public," recently dedicated an episode to pro-anorexia issues. I think they tackled it quite well.

I knew there were people who were pro, but wasn't aware of how wide spread it was until I saw the show.

Yes, I saw that one too, and it was hard to watch. I was considered "borderline" anorexic when I was teen, my lowest weight was 76 pounds but luckily I never had any severe health issues. I still have pretty cruddy body image, even though I am ...jeez, I can't even type it.... considered thin. I was so surprised, not being around teens all that often, that anorexia could be considered a status symbol of sorts. I though that Lauren on Boston Public made such a great statement when she said that the triggers never really go away. That show triggered me!

The hard thing for me is to make sure that I don't say in front of my kids "Oh do I look fat?" or "I wish my butt were smaller" etc. A few years ago, I read statistics on how girls as young as *8* go on diets! It shocks me that we are sending messages like that to the next generation.

Anyway, back to the pro-anny sites....I couldn't look at them if I wanted to- they would bring up both shock and horror, and the feeling like- wow, I should really lose 5 more pounds. :( But it is incredible disturbing that they are out there, glorifying something so sad and dangerous.

Oh and one last thing....do you think that there are now two "forms" of anorexia? The type that is brought on by some kind of psychological issue, low self esteem, etc and that of this generation...acceptance and group identity issues?

Chris

[Niamh]

Good question. I don't know if there are considered two. I wonder what the mental health profession would have to say about that. Or would the type brought on by acceptance, etc be considered something entirely different?

My mother did go look at the pro-ana sites. Very difficult for her considering what she went through with my brother. She said the photos reminded her of images from Nazi concentration camps. The (mostly) girls were so thin, pale, and sickly looking.

[Ball-Bhreac Ròn]

I'm glad to see someone has deleted those websites. It shows someone has sense out there.

Around here, it's like a fad to tell everyone you're anorexic/bulimic - even if you're not. It's ridiculous and sick. It's mostly for attention, and it mostly works, which is disgusting...Goddess, it all p!sses me off so much the way some people do this...It's not a good thing to kill yourself from the inside out, or even pretend you are.

[Niamh]

What's too bad is, though, if they pretend enough... it's not pretending anymore. Soon enough it will start to happen to them. Even if it doesn't, these kids pretending need help just as badly!

[Maia]

...the thing is though, is that u can't really 'pretend' to have an ED. anyone with the smallest modicum of sense will eat when they haven't eaten for a couple days/will get off the treadmill and leave the gym/won't stick theiy fingers down their throats.

now, don't take that the wrong way, i've been an exercise bulimic since i was 9, but wat i'm trying to say is that most people have the innate sense of self-preservation not to do, or continue doing, the above behaviours. it takes a *lot* of self-hate to convince urself that diet pepsi is the food of life and there's no good reason for u to eat for a couple days, before eating half the kitchen and going over the gym til closing time (don't worry i'm in recovery now :P)

as for pro-ana...i don't agree with it. not the tips, not the trigger pix, not the "yea man group fast wooo see the bones!" crap *rolls eyes*

BUT i do believe in acceptance of it.

well, acceptance is probably the wrong word...but there are a lot of people out there who are actively eating disordered, but either can't or won't recover (i'm in the UK but i understand insurance policies can make it terribly difficult to get funding for treatment). and while their behaviours shudn't be advocated, people shudn't be ostracised for having fallen under such a serious psychological problem. (i speak from experience having been banned from one of the 'well-known' recovery sites earlier this year...where was i supposed to go? but don't get me started on that this post is already turning into a rant :P)

and finally (i can feel the collective sigh of relief ;) ) i do believe that all of the media exposure about pro sites only feeds into the problem. as a current member of an 'acceptance' site (pro isn't the right word, pls don't flame me it's a long long story) i've seen the member counter skyrocket after the Boston Public episode - most of these new members being young teenagers asking "is ana the best way to lose weight for the prom?"

and that's sad :( it's NOT a diet, it's NOT a lifestyle...it's a damn ****edup halflife of calorie counters and scales.

i'd best go have my breakfast ;)

eudaimonia
xxx

[Niamh]

There were a few quotes from Christina Ricci in our local paper either yesterday or the day before... In that little section where they put all of the AP celebrity news.

ANyhow, the gist of it was that Ricci "learned" how to become anorexic from watching movies and after school specials about it in the late 80's and early 90's. She'd watch carefully what the girls in the movies did for "tips." She admits that it's a problem and an illness and has since recieved treatment.

[Azure]

When I was in high school, and you have to go back more than a decade for that, since I graduated in '90, several guys on the wrestling team had eating disorders - so I don't think that's a new thing either.

My sister has a mild eating disorder - we both have tendancies toward it, sparked by the fact that when stressed or depressed we both cease to consume food. But with me, if I go to long without food, I gain weight as my body fights to preserve every thing I give it - so clearly, even if I tried to starve myself thin, I'd fail. I weight 104 or 5 right now (5'2") which is okay for me, but my sister weighs about 95, so I feel like a total cow around her.