so whats with these "pro anamia" sites?

i really just wanted to hear what others thought about these sites.

i have to admit that out of curiousity i was browsing through some of these sites. they claim to be just a support group for those who suffer but they offer tips and tricks to being anarexic or bulimic.

IMO they're kind of all the same thing. I hate to say it but I think they're 'wannarexics'. I believe that the true sufferers wouldn't advise any tips or tricks like that. How would I know? Because I've been there myself and I'm trying to overcome it. Being obsessed to that extent is horrible and I wouldn't even wish it on my enemies.

However, some of them genuinely are there for help. Sometimes it's easier to find consolidation with a stranger going through the same thing rather than somebody who's close but cannot identify with you because they haven't gone through it themselves.

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This is what I got when I copy/pasted pro anamia into the forum search. 

Original Post by mommakitty:

Calorie Count Results for: pro anamia
Did you mean? pro anaemia

 

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This is what I got when I copy/pasted pro anamia into the forum search. 

 It's an abbreviation for anorexia/bulimia.

Well, thanks flonklar for the definition.  I just typed in to the search box to find out what OP was talking about.  Obviously, it's something that I don't have to deal with. 

I'm worried this tread might be triggering to some.

Original Post by polythelenepam:

I'm worried this tread might be triggering to some.

 Yeah, I've always wanted to get into it.  Here's my chance.

Well, no triggers for me since I didn't even know what it meant to begin with (thank you God)

Pro ana/ Pro mia sites is promoted by some as being a place where people who are anorexic or bulimic can suport one another in their lifestyle. I did a big project on it and I have been to a lot of the sites. They offer tips and tricks on how to eats less, eat nothing, and to hide their problem from their family and friends. The ones that are suffering from these diseases don't want to change, they want to keep living the way that they are. Some teenage girls use the sites to "force" themselves to become anorexic/bulimic because they want to be cool or want to lose weight for non health related reasons. I wouldn't be surprised though if even browsing the sites it triggers something. When I was looking at them it's like this constant word being thrown at you "thin thin thin". It rather depressing trying to reach perfection.

I think the entire concept of having websites encouraging people to starve themselves into an early grave is nothing short of evil.   Most people who are seriously ill are looking for a cure or alleviation of their symptoms.... not tricks of the trade to stay sick or get sicker.   These sites are not providing support they are promoting suicide.... apalling things.

If anyone who uses this site sees messages from people who are encouraging others to make themselves ill by promoting extreme/dangerous diets, bragging about their super low body-weights or other abnormalities should report the violation of CC rules immediately.  These people are not welcome here.

They are evil. I don't even think the creators had such evil intentions in mind when they made them, because they themselves are sick...But these sites can heavily influence especially younger girls, and I'm sure it has caused so many new cases of AN/Bulimia. They should be banned, before it becomes too late for some girls. 

I don't think banning sites would help, unfortunately.  You've only to look at the number of people who would like to get pro-ana threads going on CC (and other legitimate dietary help sites) to see that there's a fund of willing participants eager to egg each other on....  And if they didn't have a bespoke site they'd probably set up a facebook group or similar. 

ha i find it triggering in the opposite way.  it triggers me....that i dont want anyone to confuse me ore my disease of anaorexia with any of these stupid disgusting people. It triggers me to eat more and not want to look sick.  i dont think they are pretty. they are selfish, immature sick girls who make everything about outside apperence. its awful.  i am trying to get healthier so no one can think of me as being one of those girls

wow, i didn't think this thread would be triggering, i was just curious what other people thought of it.

i had never heard of or experienced the exsistence of these sites.

thanks for the input though. its very incourageing for me to here other people stand up against what these sites promote.

Original Post by gi-jane:

And if they didn't have a bespoke site they'd probably set up a facebook group or similar. 

 

They already have those, and myspace ones.

Having a long history of anorexia, yes I am very familiar with these sites.

I think they should all be banned, but it's not realistic. Most banned sites simply pop up again at another address.

Agree with blondie that they're probably posted by wannarexics. I've been to the sites, but honestly none of them told me any unhealthy weight-loss tricks I hadn't already thought of myself.

Bernadette, not many anorexics and bulimics want to stay that way. They're just stuck, and my heart goes out to them.

These sites absolutely p*ss me off. When I was bad into my ED, I'll be honest and say I never looked at the sites. I knew they existed, but I never looked them up. Hell, I was in denial that I had an ED let alone looking up tips for it.

What's worse it is a site basically telling individuals on how to kill themselves. There are actually sites on the web that tell you how to commit suicide in all ways possible. It's unbelievable what's available on the Internet when you look it up. Just shows you how much time people have on their hands. However, when these sites get into the wrong hands (the very mentally ill and willing.) it leads to no good.

I don't believe these sites can turn people anorexic, you don't *turn* anorexic. It's an illness that you develop. So yes, in a sense people looking those sites up ARE *wannarexics.* Obviously.

I consider myself pretty much recovered now, I still have my days, but I'm far past the grey shaded area and grasp of the illness that I was in only a few short years back. I have checked these websites out, out of curiosity (after mostly recovering) and was appalled by the ignorance of them. The forums on those sites are even worse! Seeing these young women (or males) talk, is just like staring at a full board of stupid. They aren't looking to get better, but are complimenting eachother's bone thin figure. It's disgusting..Most of all disturbing.

Original Post by moonbay:

i really just wanted to hear what others thought about these sites.

i have to admit that out of curiousity i was browsing through some of these sites. they claim to be just a support group for those who suffer but they offer tips and tricks to being anarexic or bulimic.

These sites violate EVERYTHING we strive for at Calorie Count and the discussion or promotion of them will not be tolerated.

Calorie Count's mission is to promote healthy and sustainable weight management.

These pro-ana/mia websites promote unhealthy eating patterns and ultimately trigger and promote mental illness and death.

we can't even discuss them?

From an academic perspective, it represents a new spin on eating disorders that professionals are not prepared to deal with (because of it's 'newness'). Most eating disorders are characterized by an irrational body image. To be diagnosed with anorexia one must continue to assume that they are fat/normal weight to be diagnosed according to the DSM. But these girls are different. Many of them know how skinny are. They know the health risks. They just want to look like that. I think that's the scariest part to me.

Original Post by minda_spk:

we can't even discuss them?

From an academic perspective, it represents a new spin on eating disorders that professionals are not prepared to deal with (because of it's 'newness'). Most eating disorders are characterized by an irrational body image. To be diagnosed with anorexia one must continue to assume that they are fat/normal weight to be diagnosed according to the DSM. But these girls are different. Many of them know how skinny are. They know the health risks. They just want to look like that. I think that's the scariest part to me.

I agree that discussion should be allowed. Nobody's promoting these sites.

No, these sites aren't new. They've been around for years, pretty much ever since the internet existed in its current form.

Also, to be diagnosed with anorexia you don't have to think you're fat or even a normal weight. A lot of anorexics realise they are too thin, but just not thin enough. Others will know exactly how thin they are but still retain an irrational fear of gaining weight. The diagnostic criteria are:

1. Body weight is maintained at least 15% below that expected (either lost or never achieved), or Quetelet's body-mass index is 17.5 or less. Prepubertal patients may show failure to make the expected weight gain during the period of growth.
2. The weight loss is self-induced by avoidance of "fattening foods" and one or more of the following: self-induced vomiting; self-induced purging; excessive exercise; use of appetite suppressants and/or diuretics.
3. There is body-image distortion in the form of a specific psychopathology whereby a dread of fatness persists as an intrusive, overvalued idea and the patient imposes a low weight threshold on himself or herself.
4. A widespread endocrine disorder involving the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis is manifest in women as amenorrhoea and in men as a loss of sexual interest and potency. (An apparent exception is the persistence of vaginal bleeds in anorexic women who are receiving replacement hormonal therapy, most commonly taken as a contraceptive pill.) There may also be elevated levels of growth hormone, raised levels of cortisol, changes in the peripheral metabolism of the thyroid hormone, and abnormalities of insulin secretion.
5. If onset is prepubertal, the sequence of pubertal events is delayed or even arrested (growth ceases; in girls the breasts do not develop and there is a primary amenorrhoea; in boys the genitals remain juvenile). With recovery, puberty is often completed normally, but the menarche is late.

Since the guidelines have existed a lot of people have realised you don't even need to be underweight to be diagnosed as anorexic. For example, you could have been overweight and then lost weight. Or be a normal weight but have anorexic behaviour patterns, despite a lack of weight loss.

It was my understanding that being underweight was required for a diagnosis of anorexia, and that someone with restrictive type eating not underweight is diagnosed as ED-NOS. Based on the DSM criteria. Perhaps our criterion are different.

Still, my point was that we are now seeing girls who know they are anorexic, want to be, know how thin they are, and want to be. People who strive to be anorexic because they LIKE how it looks, not because of body-image distortion. Meant to spark social commentary.