Comments on: Girls Suffering From Eating Disorders Find Support On Facebook

By: steph

steph — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 13:26:54 +0000

i have to agree with kristen after suffering from said problem ive visted some sites,

yes winnie is also right, some are awful and encourage this, but alot you will find acknowledge its a disease and a serious issue are there is some sites out there offering help and recovery

like anything these days theres a good side and a bad side.

By: Winnie

Winnie — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:34:40 +0000

The thing is Kristen, a few of these groups aren’t helping anorexics. I’ve looked through them, and there are groups that encourage girls to go through anorexia. Some of these groups tell members who post pictures to get even more skinny, & exchange tactics to lose even more weight. There is no correlation between Weight Watchers and these pro-ana groups. Instead of encouraging anorexics and bulimics to reach a normal weight and approach a healthy lifestyle, they are encouraging them to become even more skinny. The equivalent for that for obese people would be groups encouraging them to eat even more.

By: kristin

kristin — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 02:18:18 +0000

I have long struggle with eating disorders, and yes, i do regularly visit two or three different pro-ana sites, and i have to say that the goal of 99% of them has nothing to do with converting others, and in fact, most say flat out that anorexia and bulimia are diseases and that if you are actively trying to ‘get’ them, you’re naive, insensitive, and not going to be successful. Also, they generally have areas devoted to helping people get better. Overall, they just are places for people with a similar problem to congregate and discuss said problem. Fat people have Weight Watchers, anorexics have Pro-Ana sites. What’s the difference?

And in what way is developing a tolerance a bad thing? Last i heard, being accepting of people different from oneself was considered virtuous. Also, obesity is tolerated. Why shouldn’t the opposite end of the spectrum be tolerated as well?

By: bunny

bunny — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:36:23 +0000

2 things i want to say, i only read the first comment (the one at the bottom) but felt i had to speak up anyways. Both cutting yourself and anorexia are real problems, despite some people glamourizing them. Granted, most anorexics dont use “pro-ana” websites, but there is some comfort sought in them – admittedly, anonymous ones that admit we have problems but dont make it out to be a good thing, a game of survival rather than a horrible, empty, lonely illness that you never escape from – as self harm is too.

The pro ana/ pro mia websites started as that.

I think people wbho glamourise something that ultimately kills you whether in body or mind, might as well be glamourizing cancer or AIDS.

By: Danyell

Danyell — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:51:05 +0000

haha this is just as bad as when cutting yourself was trendy. and now anorexia is trendy. how cute?

By: Melodie

Melodie — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 00:48:22 +0000

Shanna; I get what you are saying, except that these groups are jokes. I sincerely don’t think actual alcoholics join these groups and broadcast it, and “sluts” either.

However, these are serious groups where people support and promote a mental disorder.

And yeah, it is not our right to censor, but Facebook can and will do it, so whatever.

By: Shanna Rae

Shanna Rae — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 07:18:37 +0000

I agree with M, this is free speech. While I do not agree with promoting such harmful behavior, it is not our right to censor. No one is upset when people join groups that cater to being a raging alcoholic, or a slut, and lets not forget the always classy ode to couch burning.

By: Jill

Jill — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 03:01:03 +0000

Wow. Anorexia is not a lifestyle. A particular diet is a lifestyle. A disorder is not.

By: M

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:49:38 +0000

i dont think that facebook should block these groups. its free speech. to some people anorexia is a lifestyle not a disorder. i go to these pro ana sites because im trying to become anorexia i dont think its a bad thing just as long as you dont get crazy about it like theres a limit of intenseity with this i would never take it to an extreme

By: Veronica

Veronica — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:00:38 +0000

I just did what Kelly did, and looked on facebook for the proof. Wow. This is really sad, and I wish more could be done. I had no idea this was so heavy on facebook, thanks for the article.