Beware of Pro-Anorexia Websites

May 19th, 2008 by Stacie


Recently, I discussed what Anorexia Nervosa is and what you can do if you suspect that someone you know is anorexic.

When you have kids, many people advise you to check out what websites they seek out and are frequently on. You might have blocks up so that they can’t go to certain websites. But do you check their Facebook and MySpace accounts? There ARE pro-anorexia groups on these sites that promote being thin (someone recently wrote that “thin is beautiful but even thinner is perfection” and “you can’t ever be too thin or too rich”). Check to see if your child belongs to these groups.

Since I don’t endorse these sites in the lease, I won’t give out their links as that would be giving them what they want (promotion). If you’re so inclined, and have an account at these sites, you can search them out yourself. Some to beware of include:

On Facebook:

  • Get thin or die trying

On MySpace:

  • Pro-Ana Nation
  • Pro Extreme Dieting

What do you do if your child IS a member of these groups or has been going to pro-anorexia websites?

  • Talk to him or her (yes, I said him because even boys and men are not immune to eating disorders).
  • Talk to a health-care professional if you feel uncomfortable at first in order to know what to say.
  • And try to get your child help–that is the most important thing! They may hate you at first, but it could save their life, and that is more important than how they feel about you today (just think about how many times we may have told our parents we hated them!).

Good luck!!

This entry is filed under Eating Disorders, Health & Fitness. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

2 responses about “Beware of Pro-Anorexia Websites”

  1. Susan said:
    May 19th, 2008 at 7:19 pm

    I find it horrible and sad at the same time. The folks who ban together on these sites need support and validation, but they’re going about it in the wrong way… a very deadly way. Yet, I don’t believe they truly see the seriousness of what they’re doing. The Facebook title says it all, “Get thin or die trying.” It’s very scary and sad that this is an actual goal for some people.

  2. TroyJMorris said:
    May 20th, 2008 at 5:52 pm

    I’m all for freedom of speech, but I’m pretty sure if we write letters, the sites can be shut down. It may violate the ToS.

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