Essay about Pro-Anorexia Websites - 1686 Words

Pro-Anorexia Websites Cyberspace, something that was once considered a fad, has developed into a tool that allows people struggling with anorexia to potentially find a sanctuary from the regulatory systems in popular culture that are applied to women’s bodies. Cyberspace provides an alternative space for women with eating disorders or body issues. The space created by cyberspace is potentially safer for women to meet because it allows anonymity while simultaneously being part of a community that the built environment is unable to provide. The components that make up pro-anorexia websites are usually considered abnormal, repugnant, or deviant within popular culture, because popular culture does not accept the way†¦show more content†¦Before entering most pro-anorexia websites there is a warning page that alerts viewers that the website contains pro-anorexia information, to enter at your own risk, and to not enter if you are not an anorexic or are in recovery. These warning pages make the purpose of pro-anorexia websites quite clear: to provide a space for those struggling with an eating disorder that is free of judgment, and where ideas of encouragement can be provided for those who are not ready to recover. Upon accepting the terms of the warning page and navigating the website, a substantial portion of a pro-anorexia website is devoted to the definition of eating disorders, treatment options, and recovery issues. This information goes beyond removing the webmaster from any liability it has for a person who is interacting with this site, which has already been addressed in the warning page. Instead, the clinical definitions of eating disorders that are usually borrowed from medical texts emphasize the fact the website is an unstable space. Anorexia Nervosa, a mental illness in which a person has an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of their weight and body shape. People with this illness believe themselves to be fat even when their weight is so lowShow MoreRelatedResearch on Pro-Anorexia Website Content Essay610 Words   |  3 PagesThe research problem is to explore the relationships between general media content and pro-anorexia website content, peer influence (general as well as specific influence to view pro-anorexia websites) and the drive for thinness in females, and drive for muscularity in males in the college student population. The researchers assume that pro anorexia website content will cause internalization (which is; when a thought becomes a belief that (in this case), woman should always be thin and men shouldRead MorePro Ana Websites Encourage Harmful Behavior1273 Words   |  6 PagesWomen and girls who are anorexic use pro-anorexia, or â€Å"pro-Ana,† blogs and websites to look for tips and inspiration for their lifestyle. The pro-Ana blogs have tips for women who are looking for ways to lose weight, stay skinny, and trick their doctors, friends, and family. Some suggestions are promoting starvation and the misuse of laxatives. Though the websites are not recruiting people, they do reinforce anorexic behavior and praise the disorder. The websites are primarily for those who have alreadyRead MoreThe Effects Of Influence On Adolescents1273 Words   |  6 Pagesunlikely the age range was intentional. Two studies that looked specifically at pro-anorexia site influence on adolescents were Pryslopski (2011) (11-18 years) and Custer and Van de Bulck (2009) (13-17 years). Custer and Van de Bulck study found a positive correlation between age and viewership in female participants. They found as female adolescents aged, so did their likelihood of viewing pro-anorexia websites, dysfunctional eating, a higher drive for thinness and lower self-evaluation. ExplanationsRead MoreGetting Thinspired: The Danger of Pro-Ana Websites952 Words   |  4 Pagesarray of pro-anorexic websites; these sites provide images and advice for those desiring to get thin quickly, resulting in healthy young girls developing life-threatening eating disorders. Pro-ana websites wage war on the developing minds of young girls. These dangerous resources support young girls in their quest for weight loss, though it is not in a positive way. Photos and forums located on these websites suggest unhealthy methods in which to achieve thinness. Pro-ana websites provide anRead MoreRestricting Pro-ana Blogs1284 Words   |  6 Pagesknown as ‘pro-ana’ or ‘pro-anorexia’. For years ‘pro-ana’ blogs have floated around the inter webs without rules and regulations. Many youths go to websites such as Tumblr and they spend hours looking at images of skinny models and anorexic ‘Tumblr girls’. In this way they themselves begin to lower their own self-esteem and in turn begin living the ‘pro-ana lifestyle’ which includes extreme food restrictions, insane workouts, and punishments if they intake too many calories. The idea of ‘pro ana’ isRead MoreEating Disorders are a Mental Illness1431 Words   |  6 Pagessuch as Twitter and Instagram.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Eating disorders are real, complex and devastating conditions that can have serious consequences for health, productivity and relationships. The two most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia (Parks 8). Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that makes people lose more weight than is considered healthy for their age and height. A person with this disorder may have an intense fear of weight gain, even when they are underweight. They mayRead MoreThe Detrimental Effects of Anorexia on the Body and Mind 1103 Words   |  5 Pagesrarely occurs naturally and to pursue that ultra-thin physique at any cost.† Anorexia is the third most common chronic illness among young women. Furthermore, one in every ten people with anorexia will die from a complication brought on by the disorder. Although Anorexia is a mental illness, it is most common in teenage females because it is incited by the media through the fashion industry an d pro-anorexia websites. Anorexia is a mental illness that can be identified by its victims starving themselvesRead MoreResponsibility of the Fashion Model Industry1505 Words   |  7 Pagessuffering from anorexia and bulimia. Susan Albers, a psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic said exposure to thin models is a great trigger in maintaining an eating disorder. When watching America’s Next Top Model or flipping through a Fashion magazine, these young women don’t apprehend that those models are either naturally slim or they are suffering from an eating disorder themselves, in other words, hostages in the dark hell hid behind those runway curtains. The growing number of young anorexia and bulimiaRead MoreEating Disorders And Body Image Issues1655 Words   |  7 PagesEating disorders: noun. A group of psychological ailments characterized by intense fear of becoming obese, distorted body image, and prolonged food refusal (anorexia nervosa) and/or binge eating followed by purging through induced v omiting, heavy exercise, or use of laxatives (bulimia nervosa).These ailments are not pretty. In this society, where only the fit and thin bodies are accepted and appreciated, eating disorders are more common than they should be. Children, starting at a young age, seeRead MoreAdolescent Teens And Young Adults Essay1550 Words   |  7 PagesStates has become infatuated with the idea of being fit, thin and healthy. This ideal has become so popular that it has become the new norm all over different media platforms including the ever growing, trendy, and highly accessible social media websites. Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, and even the surprising Pinterest are just some of the few platforms that glorify the ideal that being thin is better and is the ideal to be wanted, loved, and successful in life. While this ideal may seem harmless to