Eating Disorder ProAna Blogger Focused on Body Image and Self Esteem

What do you think of when you look at this couple?

Do they appear healthy to you?

Or do they look like death warmed over?

Meredith Averill and Paul McGlothin are members of The Calorie Restriction Society, a group that believes in severely restricting calories to maintain an anorexic like body weight, in an effort to prolong their life.

And it’s working.

Members of the CR Society have lowered their blood pressure, reduced
body fat, and lessened risk factors for heart disease, diabetes and
even cancer according to CBS 60 Minutes.

The positive health results are so impressive, Washington University is studying the results…moving this group out of the crackpot category.

So, what is the difference between Calorie Restriction and Pro- Anorexia?

These people are starving themselves for health- not death.

They are interested in living longer – not looking better.

Here’s the twist;

Dylan, the moderator at Live Journal Pro Anorexia, is a well known proponent of CR. He has been living the lifestyle for decades, and at 58 years old with a BMI of 16.5 is determined (and I mean determined) to teach the CR philosophy to the pro anorexics who come to him for advice.

Recently, he decided to start charging for his Internet counseling services, which did not sit well with some who are determined to shut him down.

Dylan’s point of view is “they are going to starve themselves anyway, so I am teaching them to do it in a healthy way.”

And the ProAna’s keep-a-comin his way – making LJPA “The World’s Largest Pro Anorexia” web site;

• 30k+ members

• 2M+ posts

• And a waiting line to get in

Ahhh….. this was a hard post to do. I pondered, questioned, and stressed on how to approach this topic, because I sure as hell don’t want to add fuel to the Pro Ana’s fire or plant seeds in eating disordered girls heads to start a CR diet.

However, we can’t run away from reality. These lifestyles exist, the information is all over the web, and its important to face it, discuss it, and process it.

Looking forward to your take on this,

-mamaV