Eating Disorders Blog

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, doesnt 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

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Psychiatrists in Britain are urging the British government to take steps against pro-anorexia ("pro-ana") and pro-bulimia ("pro-mia") websites.

In September 2008, the British government established the UK Council for Child Internet Safety to deliver recommendations regarding such websites made by Professor Tanya Byron in her report "Safer Children in a Digital World." Now, members of the Royal College of Psychiatrists' Eating Disorders Section claim the council's plans for action do not go far enough because they fail to specifically address pro-eating disorder websites.

This week, the Royal College published a position paper on the issue, requesting that the council increase its efforts by:

"Expanding its definition of harmful web content to include pro-eating disorder websites,
"Extending its plans to moderate Internet sites that promote harmful behavior to include pro-eating disorder websites, and
"Specifically addressing pro-eating disorder websites in its plans to raise awareness of e-safety among parents and teachers.

Professor Ulrike Schmidt, chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists' Eating Disorders Section, commented:

The broader societal context in which pro-ana and pro-mia sites thrive is one where young women are constantly bombarded with toxic images of supposed female perfection that are impossible to achieve, make women feel bad about themselves and significantly increase their risk of eating disorders & Pro-ana websites normalise 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. We are very concerned that the lack of medical checks for models at London Fashion Week, coupled with working in an environment where being underweight is considered the norm, prevents models with eating disorders from gaining insight into their condition.

(Source: media-newswire.com)

Labels: anorexia, pro-anorexia, britian

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Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in partnership with the Stanford University School of Medicine has conducted the first-ever large-scale analysis of pro-eating disorder websites. Many sites were found to have an odd mix of both weight-loss and recovery tips.

“The paper reports on 180 Web sites that were found using search terms such as ‘Pro-ana’… The researchers evaluated each site’s basic logistics; accessories such as interactive forums or calorie counters; themes (including control, success and perfection); ‘thinspiration’ images, tips and techniques for weight loss; and recovery information. They assigned each site a ‘perceived harm’ score based on their assessment of how harmful the site would be to users.” [Source: MediLexicon]

About one-quarter of the sites scored high on the “perceived harm” scale, while most fell somewhere in the middle. Interestingly, most of the site recognized eating disorders as illnesses, and about one-third of them offered recovery information.


 

Labels: pro-anorexia, internet

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 0 Comments

A study out of Johns Hopkins University is analyzing the content of over 150 websites that promote anorexic and bulimic behaviors. Researchers hope the information will help them better understand the influence such sites have over people who are developing, or have, eating disorders.

“The lead author of the study, Dina L.G. Borzekowski, an associate professor in the Bloomberg School’s Department of Health, Behavior and Society, is in the final phases of completing another study that explores the effects of pro-eating disorders websites on young people.” [Source: The Baltimore Sun]

Pro-anorexia and pro-bulimia websites remain particularly problematic in the effort to combat eating disorders. More than 90 percent of the sites reviewed contained dangerous and damaging material, and even some interactive features that allowed people to calculate their body mass index and the number of calories they eat in a day.

 

Labels: pro-anorexia, internet, pro-bulimia

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Tens of millions of young people have Facebook accounts. They post status and relationship updates, share funny videos and upload pictures. Some, however, have second – secret – accounts where the videos are about weight loss and the pictures are “thinspiring.”

“There seems to be a Facebook group for every sub-section of disordered eater: Ana/Mia Anonymous (‘mia’ is the ‘cute’ short-form of bulimia); I’m Not Anorexic, I Just Only Eat on Tuesday; and Christians with Eating Disorders.” [Source: CanWest News Service]

Unfortunately, these groups don’t encourage people to get help for their eating disorders. Rather, they encourage people to embrace their dangerous, sometimes deadly habits. Parents are encouraged to keep an eye on their kids’ Internet activities and start asking questions if they notice something unusual or potentially dangerous.

Labels: pro-anorexia, internet, pro-bulimia, social networks

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 1 Comment

In a country where more than 1.5 million people are struggling with eating disorders, psychiatrists are calling for change. This week, as London’s Fashion Week gets underway, British psychiatrists are demanding the government do something about pro-anorexia websites.

“Encouraged by social networking sites like Facebook and ‘thinspiration’ websites, growing numbers of Britons are looking online to get tips on how to starve themselves or hide extreme weight loss, says the Royal College of Psychiatrists. ‘(These) websites normalize illness,’ said Professor Ulrike Schmidt, chair of the college’s eating disorders section.” [Source: Reuters]

In a report released this week, the College is calling for government intervention as part of its larger strategy to protect children from being exploited via the Internet. An estimated one out of every ten girls looks at pro-eating-disorder websites. The UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) says its working to address the problem.

 

Labels: pro-anorexia, internet

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 1 Comment