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Matthew Williams
Mrs. Miner
English 1010
August 1, 2014

Pro-Ana and Pro-mia on the Web

With the internet comes all sorts of ways that human beings can connect with each other.
People that could never communicate before now have the ability to do so. With a few strokes of
the keyboard and a click of the mouse we can connect with people that feel the same way we do
about a particular subject. The focus of this summary is Pro- Anorexia (pro-ana) and Pro-
Bulimia (pro-mia). More specifically websites that promote these two illnesses. These websites
provide tips, support and motivation. for people that currently suffer with an eating disorder or
are vulnerable individuals that may be attracted to these sorts of behaviors. These websites often
portray disordered eating behaviors as lifestyle choices, encouraging ultra-thin ideals mostly for
young women. Should these websites be removed from the internet?
According to the National Association of Anorexia and Associated Eating Disorders
(ANAD) up to 24 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder
(anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder) in the U.S and its the third most common chronic
illness among adolescents. Eating disorders affect people of both sexes and all ages however;
they effect young women the most. The two main types of eating disorders I would like to
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address are called Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. Anorexia is very generally defined as
a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and
excessive weight loss. Bulimia is characterized as a cycle where large amounts of food are
consumed first, this is called a binge. Following the binge, the person then self induces vomiting
to rid the body of food that has been consumed. The idea is to be able to enjoy large quantities of
food without consuming the calories, all in an effort to not gain body fat. (ANAD)
Three viewpoints will be presented in the argument as to whether or not pro-ana and pro-
mia websites should be removed. The first viewpoint will be that of professional mental health
care providers treating illnesses like Anorexia and Bulimia. The second perspective is from the
standpoint of some people who are close to those dealing with an eating disorder. The third point
of view will be that of the sufferer and how they feel they may have been affected by these
websites. Each position will be not be all inclusive, in other words some mental health care
providers view that these websites are harmful, others may disagree. Some sufferers might feel
that pro-eating disorder websites have helped them and so on.
Within the mental health care community, nearly all mental health professionals see these
websites as very harmful. The Academy for Eating Disorders has released a position statement
stating that they are extremely concerned about the proliferation of "pro-anorexia" web sites
and the web sites pose a danger in that they promote anorexia nervosa as a lifestyle, provide
support and encouragement to engage in health threatening behaviors, and neglect the serious
consequences of starvation. Psychologists and other mental health care providers, including
psychiatric nurses and Clinical Social Workers who see the effects of eating disorders, very often
are unsurprisingly in agreement that Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa are legitimate
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illnesses and should not be treated as lifestyle choices. These diseases can and do cause death.
Perry Belfer, Ph.D., director of Newton-Wellesley Eating Disorders & Behavioral Medicine and
a clinical instructor in psychology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Belfer says These pro-ana
Web sites are essentially glorifying a disease that frequently leads to death. This is extremely
dangerous. The web sites are set up in user friendly and appealing kinds of ways.(Weisman qtd.
Belfer)
Eating disorders dont only affect the individual suffering from them, eating disorders
can wreak havoc on the sufferers family as well. The second point of view I would like to
examine is the impact these illnesses can have on the sufferers friends and family and what
positions are commonly taken in regards to pro- ana and pro-mia websites. People close to the
sufferer often do not realize there is a problem until the illness has spiraled out of control. Pro-
eating disorder websites tend to have large amounts of information explaining ways to hide their
destructive behaviors from friends, parents, and even trained mental health professionals. As one
can imagine, seeing someone suffer that you care about is a hard thing to witness. Many parents
feel, often very strongly, that these websites are detrimental to recovery from an eating disorder
and that they often contribute to the negative progression of the disorder. Many parents are aware
that young people suffering from various eating disorders will turn to the pro- ana pro-mia online
community to receive information and tactics to thwart the treatment efforts made by parents and
mental health professionals. Parents seem to have the most unified position, they generally
would like to have these websites removed from the internet.


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The final position considered is from the point of view of the people dealing with eating
disorders. The opinions vary greatly within this group. Some women benefit financially from
being involved with or running a pro- eating disorder website. Others feel that these websites
have helped further their illness. In an article by Jemima Owen, as someone who has struggled
with an eating disorder for about 6 years, she discusses the fact that she found true recovery in
the form of online blogs and supporting others that struggle with similar issues. In her article,
Shannon Proudfoot speaks of a young women who after more than 12 years of battling her own
eating disorder, started her own website promoting eating disorder recovery. While many young
women may be negatively affected by pro-ana type websites, there are many places that sufferers
can go to receive comradery from others in recovery. This position is very scattered, a kind of
mixed bag.(Owen, Proudfoot)
While nearly all professionals involved in my research would agree that Anorexia and
Bulimia are very serious illnesses and should be treated as such, there are a large number of
people that hold the view that this is a matter of attaining an achievable ideal and that is a matter
of personal choice. Even if there was agreement to remove these websites from the web, could
we? Is it practical to do so? Web hosts for these websites can easily disguise their motives. Does
removing these websites unreasonably deny people their right to freedom of speech? All of these
are complex questions with arbitrary answers. So at least for now parents can monitor their son
or daughters internet activity and if they feel these pro eating disorder websites to be harmful,
they can take appropriate action.


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Work Cited
"Eating Disorder Statistics." Anad.org. N.p., 2009. Web. 1 Aug. 2014.
Owen, Jemima. "'In the Real World I Was Lost to Anorexia, but Online the Kindness..."
The Observer. 27 Mar. 2011: 34. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 22 Jul. 2014.
Proudfoot, Shannon. "Internet Warps Reality of Those Battling Disorders." Star-Phoenix
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. 03 Jul. 2010: C.11. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 22 Jul.
2014.
"Types & Symptoms of Eating Disorders." The Academy for Eating Disorders. N.p., n.d.
Web. 1 Aug. 2014. <nationaleatingdisorders.org>.
Weisman, Janine. "Pro-ana Web Sites Pose Risks." New England Psychologist. N.p., 1
Feb. 2013. Web. 2 Aug. 2014.