Out of the Shadows

Thanks for shedding light on the growth of pro-ana groups on social networking sites like Facebook. The Center for Eating Disorders, home to Dr. Crawford, who is interviewed in the Newsweek article, just wrote a blog entry about this growing problem. To read about what CED thinks about this issue or to view the link to the Newsweek article: http://eatingdisorder.org/blog/2008/11/25/newsweek-highlights-the-dangers-of-pro-anorexia-groups-on-social-networking-sites/

This story saddens me but, not for the usual reasons. I actually think that bigger women are the most beautiful. I don't know if it would do any good, and I'm not suggesting that anyone purposly go be obese. I do know the health problems. But, the most beautiful women are anywhere between 180 to 250lbs. Sure, get out and walk a little bit, get your blood pressure down and take care of yourselves that way but, by all means, know that the these skinny little waifs in the magazines are not that attractive to many of us (and yes, there are many, many more where I come from.)

I took a college course on eating disorders, and almost every single person in there had an eating disorder and one other common denominator: a broken home.

There is a fine line between life style choices and mental illness.

Some believe homosexuality is an illness, some a choice. Years ago gays were considered mad, now they are as common as rain

Some believe alcoholism is a disease, some believe it is a choice. We tried prohibition and it failed.

Some believe obesity is a self inflicted character flaw and some believe it is an illness to be pitied, so now my kids can not have cupcake parties at school.


Freedom that is not tempered with the common sense of tending to one???s own affairs and not invading others is a sad path for our society to take.

Beware those who want to label your path as the ill one and their path as the proper one.

Do what you want, as shall I, and I will be spared the burden of having to pretend I give a damn.

Darwin will straighten it all out in the end!

Hey, just because Kelly Ripa is tiny does not make her anorexic! She happens to be a very small woman and because I myself have a frame just like hers I know what it is like to be called anorexic. NEWS FLASH--some people are just small, thin or even skinny. GET OVER IT, it does NOT mean we starve ourselves. And yes I too would call myself FAT at 123 pounds. At 123 pounds I would actually have rolls, with back fat and some serious muffin top! It is not what we weigh that is important, it is how we look. Sorry if 123 is fat for some and skinny for others. We are only human and who says we have to all have trouble with food issues. I bet I could eat you under the table, but food is not a priority in my life, it is simple something I do and enjoy. I would rather take a relaxing bath or go for a walk than down a quart of Ben and Jerry's.

First of all "cpudrew" your comment about more people dying from obesity than anorexia nervosa, is completely irrelevant to this conversation. Sure it's unhealthy to be obese, but so is smoking, so is excessive drinking etc etc. Anorexia Nervosa is a mental illness (someone who is obese can also have an eating disorder thus a mental illness).
Pro-Ana websites, yes can help people relate and have understanding. However and perhaps inadvertedly pro-ana websites do "trigger" people. This is about societal responsibility. Do the pros of getting attention and understanding really outway the cons of making people physically and mentally worse?

First of all "cpudrew" your comment about more people dying from obesity than anorexia nervosa, is completely irrelevant to this conversation. Sure it's unhealthy to be obese, but so is smoking, so is excessive drinking etc etc. Anorexia Nervosa is a mental illness (someone who is obese can also have an eating disorder thus a mental illness).
Pro-Ana websites, yes can help people relate and have understanding. However and perhaps inadvertedly pro-ana websites do "trigger" people. This is about societal responsibility. Do the pros of getting attention and understanding really outway the cons of making people physically and mentally worse?

Being Obese is not healthy either I was almost 350 pounds last December and I lost 160 lbs in 11 months. I took in 814 calories a day no carbs and minimal salt. Also exercised 2 hours a day. every day. Guess what it worked. Now I am at my optimal weight of 189 I eat about 1100-1300 calories a day and I am a 38 year old male. Guess what more people die from obesity then anorexia.

proana boards might be positive in "promoting self-image and understanding," but they are also promoting eating disorders. As the sister of a young woman who is recovering from anorexia, I can tell you that these sites are devestating, no matter what they proport to do. Please do not think they are helping you. They are fueling the disease.

Many of the proanna boards are very positive in promoting self-image and understanding. Our own site shows the overwhelming postive attitude of our members. Many on the site have succesful careers and families. I invite you all to see for your yourself at PRO-ANNA.NET

STICK CHICKS ARE HOT!!!!

To murraybabe: you might take your daughter to the dentist. If she is purging (vomiting) she may have noticable damage to the enamel of her teeth. This could possibly give you a clue if she is truly purging in this way (but of course won't catch laxative use). Please find help for your daughter if she does indeed have this problem. Good luck.

Anorexia is a progressive, fatal disease if not treated. Facebook and other social networking sites are just begging for a lawsuit that they facilitated and assisted the social networking of those who refuse to seek treatement for their disease and actually are hoping to spread the disease to others.

If there are any adults associated with this bull*&^$ transferring of information to kids, they should be arrested and prosecuted. It is enough to waste your own life, but the set up a forum where you encourage young people to do the same is sickening and disgusting.

I think it is sad the number of comments on how "sick" this is. Or negative comments about the girls and guys who want to be model thin. Guess what! Who are the "beautiful people" in the world. Stick thin models. No one is commenting on how bad the other extreme of food is. That would be the overeaters.

If you have an eating disorder like anorexia or bulemia, it is sick or disgusting, but if you are 200 pounds overweight, people should be more sympathetic because they don't understand.

Both extremes are bad. But don't bash the skeletons and love the marshmallows!