Pro-Ana Websites

1. "All I want is for my inner thighs to not touch when I walk. Is this some physically impossible feat?," writes one member of a pro-anorexia journaling website. "I'm a fat cow who doesn't deserve to be skinny," writes another. Pro-anorexia (pro-ana for short) websites such as these claim to be a safe haven for those that are plagued by the eating disorder. However, many members, majority being women, do not receive help or solace. They collect tips and publicly self-deprivate when they relapse. These websites, at their most perverted point, provide inspirational quotes for its members to live by. In A Secret Society of the Starving by Mim Udovitch, the websites are quoted as posting, "Hunger hurts but starving works," and "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels." One website even went to the point of creating its own "Thin Commandments," such as, "If thou aren't thin, thou aren't attractive," "Being thin is more important than being healthy," and "Thou shall not eat without feeling guilty." Yet these websites claim that they do not support anorexia, rather they defend it. Furthermore, Udovitch met with three young women suffering from the disorder. Two of the women even run their own pro-ana websites. Both contend that these websites do not influence young women to become anorexic. There must be a vulnerability in the person to be susceptible to the websites' beliefs. However, if someone is impressionable to a pro-ana website, if they are indeed vulnerable, these websites suggest a way of dealing with the problem. Jill M. Pollack, executive director of the Center for the Study of Anorexia and Bulimia states that women battling anorexia are highly OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). One girl that Udovitch interviewed confessed to having OCD regarding things such as laundry, cleaning, and the numeral three. Women battling eating disorders use food as an object they can control. The bottom line is that pro-ana websites do not offer a safe haven to discuss the issue, they encourage women to believe that starving themselves is ok, because at the end of the day, there would be something else they have to control instead.

2. In A Secret Society of the Starving by Mim Udovitch, three women varying in age are interviewed. All three have one thing in common: they suffer from anorexia. One in 200 American women suffer from anorexia and a staggering two or three in 100 suffer from bulimia. With such a high number of women suffering from the disorder, many are in search of a haven, somewhere that can go to express their innermost thoughts and not be judged. Thats why two of these women run their own pro-ana (pro-anorexia) websites, where others afflicted with the disease can communicate to each other and find relief in the fact that they are not alone. Pro-ana websites allow women to talk about the hardships they are facing. One member writes, " I love you all so ... much. You made my night last night, I went to bed thinking 'I am not alone'." Without journaling websites like these, women would have one less readily available outlet. One of the girls interviewed by Udovitch discusses her reason for her daily use of the pro-ana websites. "...at the end of the day, it would be really nice if you could share with the whole world how you felt...".

3. In a country where beauty is revered, many women are confronted with "beauty" in everyday life. Television, magazine covers, posters, and more advertise models deemed as being beautiful. Constant bombardment with these images is likely to force women that do not meet these expectations question their own beauty and their worth. Thats why websites labeled "pro-ana" (short for pro-anorexia) are created. They describe themselves as an outlet for sufferers, a place they can post their questions and concerns. However, many contend these websites promote anorexia because users often trade tips and celebrate when they successfully starve themselves long enough to lose weight. Perhaps these websites can be the first step to healing. They provide users with the tools to communicate, and perhaps it will open up the doors to further communication. One member on a pro-ana website writes, "I truly admire the kindness and support people are able to find here...". However many users recognize they still are not happy. In The Secret Society o the Starving by Mim Udovitch, an 18 year old girl suffering from anorexia states, "...you can't say that every ana loves herself and that she doesn't think anything is wrong with her at all... Or else she wouldn't be ana in the first place."