Pro-Ana Sites

There may be some concern about the content of this post.  As a group, we've considered the options and believe it best to expose the teachers to this issue.  While some students may stumble upon this entry and links, we feel that the exposure to teachers outweighs potential risk of student exposure.  Students will find this information in one way or another.

In short, these sites are ones that promote being thin as a lifestyle or see being thin as an ideal, sometimes called, "Pro-Ana" or pro-anorexia. While promoting statistics and information about eating disorders, that masks a reality that is very different. The content of these sites can be disturbing, but teachers need to realize the mind-set and thought processes of their students who may share these viewpoints. The views are of those who are not pro-recovery. At best, reading these blogs is fascinating. At worst, it is disturbing. In any case, they are worth checking out.

The first site is: http://www.mymirrorimage.moonfruit.com/
The site contains several galleries of thin women. There is one of severely obese women--but these are there only as a reminder of how the author feels about her own body.
To me this quote sums up this site: "I'm now back at University until the end of June. The doctor has pushed me into seeing a CPN again, and so i might have to see one again. I'm not going to stop though - I know as much as it might be better for me, i don't want to recover yet."

This next site is a blog called Yummy Secrets. The blog is noted as having a "content warning," but can be accessed by anyone. To quote from this blog (italics mine),
"This is a ProAna blog. For basic accurate information on the ProAna movement, please read Solidarity in the Proana Community, a well-researched article on Associated Content.com. For my personal opinion on ProAna read this post.

If you have an eating disorder and are seeking help for recovery, I wish you success, but please find help elsewhere. This blog will not help you and may be triggering. A good place to start is Something-Fishy.org. I wish you the best of luck and health.

If you are against ProAna and wish to express it, please do so by sending me an email. I will be happy to discuss it with you, but I'd prefer my blog didn't get spammed up with arguments."

One blog linked from the previous site is called, I Am Not Ill. There are dozens of other blogs for those who wish to follow others' views and experiences/perceptions of food and other aspects of life.

While you may not like the sites, they will give you some insight.

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Eating disorder webinar

The folks who brought you the series This Emotional Life have scheduled a webinar on eating disorders for Wednesday, April 14 at 1pm EDT/ 12pm CDT/ 10am PDT. The webinar is entitled Recovery from an Eating Disorder: What does real recovery look like? and will focus on these issues (quoting from the site):

• The challenges of the recovery process, including access, shame, triggers and relapse
• The different types of treatment for people suffering from eating disorders
• Advice for those seeking help for themselves or a loved one with an eating disorder

"Join Dr. Ovidio Bermudez, Medical Director of the Eating Disorders Program at Laureate Psychiatric Clinic and Hospital, and former eating disorder patients, Allison Kreiger, Sara Pollan and Troy Roness to learn about the challenges and success of recovery from an eating disorder. Through the lens of three personal journeys from eating disorders to wellness, this compelling discussion will explore what recovery looks like and offer insights from the perspectives of both those who have lived through the recovery process and a professional with years of experience treating those on the journey to recovery."

P.S. Does anyone hate the word webinar besides me? I can't explain it but I do. Ugh!

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Something-Fishy.Org

Earlier in the year, Kent posted about some government-based sites related to eating disorders.  This week, we highlight a couple more.  Today's post is called Something-fishy.org.  According to the site, they are "Dedicated to raising awareness and providing support to people with Eating Disorders, and their loved-ones... since 1995."  The content is quite detailed from descriptions of what an eating disorder is, symptoms of various eating disorders, and treatments, both from without and within.  The site is comprehensive and contains some excellent information.  This link to the site map will give you a great overview.

One point made on the front page is that they are pro-recovery.  We will post later about sites known as "pro-ana."  Something-fishy does not deal with pictures, examples of weight or other triggers for those with eating disorders.  They also have links to professional treatment centers.  If you have experience with the site or their partners, please comment.

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Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center

Established in 1999, the Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center has been informing the public on the various eating disorders and their treatments. While the site appears to be primarily designed to assist someone in finding treatment, there is basic information on anorexia, bulimia and the other eating disorders.

Students might be particularly interested in the section concerning celebrities and eating disorders. The Edreferral.com homepage can be found at http://www.edreferral.com/

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