The sites first appear as a place were people with eating disorders come together, but the truth about these sites is a lot more sinister.
Often on the websites, eating disorders are normalised and sometimes defended as being a lifestyle choice or accomplishing self control. Sometimes they describe people as an 'ana' or a 'mia'.
The online communities share techniques like how to disguise an eating disorder, how to hide weight loss, how to best prompt vomiting and how to ignore hunger.
These dangerous websites also post 'thinspiration' which is often pictures of thin celebrities or of other thin women to inspire further weight loss.
Members of these communities sometimes compete to loose weight and post pictures of themselves, showing the effects of excessive weight loss, many with visible bones.
They not only attract people suffering from eating disorders but those who are looking for tips to loose weight.
A 2009 survey of young women and girls who had visited pro eating disorder websites found that they had greater dissatisfaction with their body shape and had a more negative body image.
In 2008, France passed a bill to make it illegal to promote anorexia. If found to promote the disease; you face two years in prison or a fine of €30,000. Surely Australia could do something like this?
These websites encourage a disease which kills many beautiful, smart women each year and they need to be stopped.
Hello Anon 15 from MM,
ReplyDeleteI found you :)
This is a very good idea.
I love that you are blogging too.
Silencingthemirror is something we can all learn to do even at my age (61!).
Your maturity and comments on MM are evident, and here as well. Good going :)
My new blog is called:
www.memoriesbydenyse.com should you wisht to visit. Thanks XX
I was so upset when I discovered that sites like the ones you're describing exist! That's why we need sites with a totally different message. Which is why it's awesome that you're blogging :)
ReplyDeleteI agree that that is terrible that these sites exist.
ReplyDeleteAs a teenager I suffered from anorexia. This was back in the early days of the internet - so luckily I never saw any of these kinds of sites. I think that they are VERY dangerous. It makes me very sad to think that girls and guys who are suffering from disorders such as anorexia also now grapple with the kind of info presented on such sites.