The state of London Fashion Week reignited a national controversy over soaring numbers of pro-anorexia websites. Psychiatrists are calling on the British government to take action to counter the influence of these destructive websites.

Approximately 1.6 million people in Great Britain suffer from eating disorders and approximately 90 percent of this group is comprised of teenage girls. The Royal College of Psychiatrists believes that increasing numbers of Britons are accessing pro-anorexia websites to get tips on how to starve themselves and camouflage drastic weight loss. Experts estimate that one in 10 girls is regularly accessing these sites to learn how to become anorexic.

Professor Ulrike Schmidt, chair of the college's eating disorders section, commented, "(These) websites normalize illness. In much the same way, the catwalks of international fashion events such as London Fashion Week can act as a showcase for underweight women."

Mary George, a spokesperson for a British organization that provides assistance to people with eating disorders, doesn’t believe that outlawing the pro-anorexia websites is the answer: "Directing people away from these sites, toward pro recovery sites is what we would wish to see."

(Source: www.montrealgazette.com)

Labels: anorexia, pro-anorexia