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Pro Anorexia Websites Increase in Popularity
Given all the education and warnings on the
subject, it's surprising that so many women still suffer from
anorexia nervosa, a disorder that leads people to starve themselves.
If left unchecked, anorexia can lead to serious longterm health
consequences and can even be fatal.
Knowing all of this, why do so many young women
succumb to this dreaded disease? Has the Internet played a
role in fanning the fires of what its sufferers often affectionately
refer to as "ana"? Young women are gathering on what are called
pro ana or pro anorexia websites. These sites feature message
boards where women can bond and share tips on how to lose
weight. Whereas anorexia often used to be a lonely and secretive
part of a woman's life, now it has become a way for women
to bond, a club anyone can join as long as they desire to
be thin.
In addition to message boards and chat areas,
these sites also feature "thinspiration" photos, usually photographs
of extremely thin models and actresses. The Internet makes
it easier to collect these photos and post them so they can
be shared and admired.
In combination with the Internet, the obsession
with celebrity in recent years has caused the pro ana movement
to explode. Tabloid reports about young actresses who seem
to be wasting away to nothing sell a lot of copies. The popularity
of gossip websites has also exploded. People talk obsessively
about celebrity, including how thin certain actresses seem
to be getting.
Most of us can't figure out why our fellow humans
would willingly starve themselves since throughout our evolution,
we have always tried to avoid famine and starvation. In a
society that has an obesity problem, in which every plate
of food is supersized, the idea of anorexia is both unthinkable
and morbidly fascinating.
Perhaps anorexia will always exist. It is not
a modern problem, after all. It's just that modern technology
seems to be making it easier to become seduced by the fantasy
of bodily perfection. Hopefully, the same technology that
allows women across the world to bond over starvation will
eventually help save them.
Websites that promote recovery are popping up
just as fast as sites that promote anorexia. The message is
getting through to many young women. The more people who share
their stories of recovery rather than stories of starvation,
the more positive voices there will be on the Internet for
the next generation of women.
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About the Author:
Deborah Wilson is a freelance writer. She has written about
anorexia
for HealthDiaries.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Deborah_Wilson
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