"Pro-ana"

I would guess that most teenagers are all familiar with this term &what it means. However, I'm hoping that there are still a few people out there that don't, so, just in case you're one of 'em, here's Wikipedia's definition:

"Pro-ana refers to the promotion of the eating disorder anorexia nervosa as a lifestyle choice. It is often referred to simply as "ana" and is sometimes affectionately personified by anorexics as a girl named Ana. The lesser-used term pro-mia refers likewise to bulimia nervosa and is sometimes used interchangeably with pro-ana."

Examples of the content that can be found on the websites are:

• "The Thin Commandments" (pseudo-religious style rules for people with eating disorders to adhere to)


• "Thinspo" (pictures of skelatal girls that can be used for anorexics to admire and aspire to look like)


• "Reasons to be thin" (such as "You'll be fat if you eat today" and "Starving works, diets don't!")


• Ways to keep the disorder secret from parents, friends, doctors etc.


• Various starvation diets/ways to induce vomiting


• Forums where tips & tricks can be shared between members

The girls & boys that visit the sites argue that they act as a support network because an anorexic's life is a lonely one. I am not denying that they act as a meeting place for sufferers: I AM saying that this is not a good thing. Allowing users to swap tips on how to lose more weight & keep the disorder secret simply feeds the disease. Surely recovery is so much more difficult when you're constantly bombarded with people urging you to "stay strong" and "honour Ana" by losing even more weight. What's more, as well as telling sufferers that ana is a "way of life" rather than a mental illness, it legitimises &glamourises the disease, creating an elitist environment where only the thinnest can gain any kind of status & respect.

It has stopped anorexia being seen as a lonely, terrible affliction & instead made the world of pro-EDs (eating disorders) seem exciting & enticing to impressionable young girls. Pro-ana's argue that the sites don't "turn" people anorexic. However, they can influence people to want to become skeletal and to a 13 year old girl who's body is starting to change & grow, & who wants boys to notice her & to be popular, the world of pro-ana seems to promise beauty, power, popularity & salvation. It makes them feel like anything is possible if you conform to ana's rules.

Let's put the world of pro-ana into another situation for those of you who still aren't convinced. Imagine a website showing pictures of slashed wrists, stomachs, arms, legs, WHATEVER. Now imagine people commenting on these pictures, advising the self-harmers to use a knife instead of a razor or perhaps cut a little deeper next time. Now imagine a list of "reasons" to self-harm. ("Don't you want people to notice you? They will if you slash your arms to ribbons!") Imagine the outrage a site like this would cause, yet, though pro-ana sites are occasionally in the media (celebrities such as Fearne Cotton have presented documentaries about such sites), there is not nearly enough awareness about sites like this, especially with regards to the older generations that are likely to be parents of sufferers.

I am not saying that anorexia is wrong. It is an illness. But PRO-anorexia is wrong, it is immoral. It is like a cult, preying on vulnerable young people, feeding off their insecurities & weaknesses in order to manipulate & brainwash them. It sees Ana & Mia (bulimia) as "goddesses" who must be worshipped & obeyed. It even advocates the wearing of special bracelets so that members can recognise each other on the street (red for ana, purple for mia).

Anorexia and bulimia are not cool and they are not a game to be played. Anorexia & bulimia are not something you can just "sign-up" to, they are horrible illnesses that ruin lives, not only for the sufferers but for the people that care about them. Being "pro-ana" is sick, irresponsible & offensive, not to mention dangerous. It's sad that if you're pro-ana, you are being exploited by these sites and you can't even see it.