Pro-ana refers to the idea of promoting anorexia nervosa, the eating disorder characterized by extreme low body weight and body image distortion. The sites have photos and videos of very thin women and girls plus tips for crash dieting, fasting and forced vomiting. Most visitors to the sites are women but men visit them also. Most are young, 20 something and younger, but there are many who visit who are in their 40s and 50s.
According to Dr. Roberta Peebles of Stanford University, people suffering from eating disorders go to these sites for emotional support because they tend to feel depressed and isolated.
One teen age girl explains how she heard of these sites while watching Oprah. She was 17 at the time, 5 foot 7 inches and weighed about 80 pounds. Then she had a heart attack.
As part of her heeling process she created a web site called Ana Death to help other anorexic sufferers recover. This website mimics the style of the thin inspiration sites where people post tips on crash dieting and controlled eating. Check it out here and let me know what you think.
Celebrating your efforts for a healthy life style.
Ruthan Brodsky
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