Eating Disorder ProAna Blogger Focused on Body Image and Self Esteem

Hi Girls! We are at week 3 of the pro ana challenge. I logged on to post a quick note before we head into the weekend (I am off tomorrow and headed up north with my family).

Much to my surprise, there was a message from Gil! She is doing better and still fighting. Perhaps her words will give you some inspiration this weekend.

Think about how you don’t want to damage your body through long term ED. Think about how many years she has lost and is now fighting to get back.

Here is the message Gil posted today, you can read it also on this post:

I love you MamaV, thank you for this, thank you all for your kind words and prayers. I am doing a little better. I am waiting on word from a treatment centre which is willing to take me on and try stabalise my physical health. And help me to take the correct amount of feed i am prescribed. I am quite scared , i am worried about how other patients will deal with the fact i cannot eat orally, (i have dameaged my oesophogas as i have ruptured it twice so i will never eat ‘normally’) I do want however to be healthier, to be able to walk instead of being stuck on bedrest. To be healthy enough to maintain my weight and my vitals. I dont know for sure if i will be going as my psychiatrist is quite reluctant to apply for my funding because i quote ‘have wasted it before’ ‘what makes this time different’ this comes from someone who has me under court order for force feeding and residential care.

Anyway, thank you all again.

MamaV i love ya!

Gil xox

It’s summer, get outside, walk, think, talk, share. Do whatever you have to, but stay off those damn Pro-Ana sites

Love you all.

mamaV

I am stranded at LaGuardia, waiting to catch my midnight flight. Towers went down around 4pm, bringing all NY airports to a screeching halt. So here I sit thinking about you girls.

I’ve seen comments come through over the past week, with a quick “I’m done.” or “I quit.”

Then others post their rebuttal “can’t you get back on the bandwagon?” only to drift out in cyberspace waiting for a response.

It’s ok to drop out, but know you are always welcome back. I know you will be back because no one, not one person has ever lived the ana lifestyle and gone on to be happy.

Think about that. Anyone that dives headfirst into this lifestyle by choice, or those of us who have been summoned to this by environment or genetics, will be lucky to get out alive.

There is no happiness to be found here girls. None. It is all downhill. Even if you manage to stratch your way up for a day or two this is like quicksand that sucks you down further the next time.

Stay with me those of you who have made it 14 DAYS! You are winning. I am so proud.

And those of you who have called it quits, I’ll be here when you need me.

Love, 

mamaV 

Nicole Richie is THE pro-anorexia idol. Her anorexic frame graces more thinspiration pages then I care to count, so I thought I should understand a bit about the person behind the fame.

I happened to read a Vanity Fair article about her over the weekend. What a sad little girl. During her short life, she was bounced from home to home, and learned to be a con-artist in the process. She was a heroin addict when the opportunity to star in A Simple Life came her way. She cleaned herself up, only to drop to an alarmingly thin weight (perhaps to snag some attention from her co-host Paris Hilton).

So why all the fuss about Nicole? I will say she has a cool sense of style, and her petite look is attractive. However, every picture of her I see only loneliness and despair. She admits outright she doesn’t want to be a role model, nor is she equipped to be one at this point in her twenty-something life, but yet she is one whether she likes it or not.

When you look at her, do you really admire her? Or is it her anorexic body you admire?

Picture courtesy of Francas

I look at this picture, and I see fear, and a little girl wanting to be someone else. What do you see?

 -mamaV

Ok, girls time to check in.  There’s 98 posts on the ProAna Challenge post, I read the majority, but not sure all followed status on everyone, so please post your update.

First, a few thoughts:

1 There is no failure here. Many of you were so quick to jump to “I failed.” Enough of that, if you try, fall off the wagon, you get back on….got it?

2 If you didn’t start last week, start now. If you are reading this post, check out the first one and decide if you are in. Trust me it’s more fun than checking ProAna forums and putting yourself down day in and day out.

3 It seems that the ProAna surfing and posting is so much a part of your day, you are bored with out it. Time to open your eyes, there is a huge world out there waiting for you to explore, why are you all huddled down at your computer looking at the same crap everyday? This habit must be broken.

4 You are responsible for only yourself. You need to let go of responsibility other people, wondering what they are doing, feeling, etc. I am not talking about supporting each other here, I think that is great! It seems you are all making new friends, but here we are treading on dangerous water because you all have the same problem and I don’t want this to become a place to wallow in it.

5 Its the weekend. Please all go out and have some fun. Get away from your computers and FORCE yourself to get involved in something else. When I get home on Friday, I put away my PC and blackberry. I take off my watch, and leave it off all weekend. I get absorbed in my life, my kids, my family. 

6 With that said, I want you all to post how you are doing here, and walk away. No more posting, checking or commenting. Just shut the machine down and leave it, you will survive for a few days trust me.  One post each, that’s all you get….then turn away and focus on you and only you.

Love you all, have a great weekend!

mamaV

PS how do you like the new header? I thought my old one looked outdated, got new glasses, needed a new look. 

——

Here are the names of the posters, some said they were in, then out, then in, so lets see where we are at today:

Jessica

Jane

Joey

Nat

Nats

Emily

Lana

Christy

Melissa 

Laura

Iron

Una

Kerry Elisabeth

Ale.Ana.em

Who is ready for a challenge? It is high time for a new approach.

Starting today, right at this moment, I want you to decide if you can, and will, take the 30 day NO PROANA challenge.

I am talking a total cold turkey, turn away from the computer, and see what life brings you kind of challenge.

Here are the rules:

1 No visiting, viewing, or posting to any Pro-Ana forum or community.

2 No viewing Thinspiration videos or Pr0-Ana messaging on YouTube or elsewhere.

3 Dump all fashion mags. All of them, including the damn tabloids.

4 No viewing of television shows that focus on beauty, fashion, gossip, hollywood, etc….if something comes on of this nature, you are to turn it off or leave the room.

5 Hide or chuck your scale. This may be  a hard one so I will leave it optional….but really consider this girls, your weight can be determined by whether or not your clothes fit.

6 Tell your ED friends that you need a break, tell them not to take it personal but you can’t and will not engage in conversations surrounding food, purging, fatness….you get the point.

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=2tBCL1ZXZ9w]

Now that you have cleansed your life of all the detrimental, brainwashing crap that fills your day…you will have a lot of time on your hands.

Here are some suggestions on how to discover a new life:

1 Go to the library. I know the internet is like an online library, but I am am telling you there is nothing like the quiet, serenity of rows of books and silence. Here’s my faves:

East of Eden, John Steinbeck (big book, don’t be intimidated)

She’s Come Undone, Wally Lamb (you won’t believe a guy wrote this)

The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion (I am reading this now, can’t put it down)

I am Charlotte Simmons, Tom Wolfe (one of my favorite writers)

The Book of Ruth, Jane Hamilton (speaks for itself)

2 Do nothing.

Mindfullness Meditation, Series 1 CD, John Kabat Zinn

Whereever you go there you are, John Kabat Zinn

3  Do something for someone else.

Look for opportunities to go out of your way for others.

Send cards to people you care about, or that you miss.

Be really nice to that total knob at work or school…it will kill them!

Donate something to someone, give away your extra cash, coins, and time. There are so many cool and fun opportunities, just open your eyes:

Loans that save lives 

This site is amazing, you can donate $25 and help a person in poverty start their own business. Pictures of the people will inspire you to give.

Cellphones to third world countries

Got a phone collecting dust in your drawer? How about your friends? Round ‘em up and donate them to someone who desparately needs them.

One Laptop Per Child

The mission? Give a laptop to every child in the world. Cost per laptop $100. Check out the design of the laptop, its so cool you will want one.

Eyeglass donations

The Lions Club has received eyeglass donations for decades, gather up your old shades and glasses and give the gift of sight…something we all take for granted.

4 Do something for YOU

Get a massage.

Start a journal.

Get your nails done with friends.

Go out for a few cocktails, and relax for a damn change!

If you are up for this challenge, post your comment below stating “I am in!”

C’mon this will be fun, trust me.

mamaV

I was recently interviewed by the Toronto Star regarding my viewpoint the ProAnorexia movement and web community. 

When I stated I encourage and educate parents on how to check the history of their childrens computer activity, I was asked about privacy.

Privacy.

When it comes to Proanorexia, there is no privacy. I will stop at nothing to expose you and I don’t look back. We are dealing with life and death here.

Girls from all over the world reach out to me for help,  I am not an eating disorder expert or authority. No one else is listening. Why has this blog become a gathering place for those who are suffering?

It kills me to hear from 15 year old girls who think their lives are “over” because they hate their bodies, themselves, and have no where to turn.

It appalls me to hear stories from anorexics being told by doctors to ”go home and eat a bagel,” after landing themselves in the hospital for malnutrition.

I am stunned when I hear the desperate cries from girls who have already gone to their mom for help, revealed their disordered eating habits, only to be patted on the head and told “Honey, you’ll get over it.”

I will ring the neck of the next mother who blatantly wines about her own body image to her girlfriends, totally oblivious to the fact that their 8 year old daughter is clinging to her every word in the next room. 

Our girls post their skeletal frames on proana sites, yet they are outraged when their images are re-posted elsewhere for all to see. “You have no right!” they pout, and shout, and stomp. I pay no mind, intentions are good.

I am sick of death.

I am sick of my heart racing when I check my email for update on a blog friend who collapsed, yet again, while innocently playing softball, her organs destroyed by years of purging and starvation.

I am dumbfounded when parents sit and watch their 90 pound daughter read Teen Vogue and don’t put 2 & 2 together. 

I am sick of smart ass girls who make avatars featuring their beloved Nicole pasted with pathetic statements “bones are beautiful”

I am sick of arrogant fashion designers snubbing their noses at the anorexia epidemic while they obsessively stitch together their size zero collection for the next show.

I am sick of models who say “I was born this way” when they know damn well that nearly everyone of their model friends are starving or purging.

I can’t watch this kind of world go round, and stay silent.

So, to the question of privacy?

Here goes:

Ahhhh. Ok, got that out. I feel better.

Have a good one,

mamaV 

PS NEED MORE?

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I thought we’d take a trip down avatar lane to catch a glimpse of the latest and greatest pro-ana creativity on the scene.

For those of you who don’t know what an “avatar” is, its the small image online users create to represent themselves. This image can be a real picture of yourself, or something you think is funny or cute.

In the case of proana’s their avatars are generally someone other than themselves since they hold models and stars up as gods.

That just about covers it. In the land of the free, and the home of the brave, we spend our time analyzing pictures of models and Hollywood stars, crying out for support because we binged on 600 calories today. Yep, that’s the life we have created and we are sticking to it.

Your daughters are on a death march, and they are damn determined. They are dropping like flies, and we all go about our day as if this is all fine and normal.

Our society has penetrated their brains since birth making sure they understand they are to be the pretty ones, the dress up doll twirling to the delight of onlookers. They have grown up watching their mothers diet obsessions, spewing hatred to all the skinny bitches in the neighborhood.

We send them out into the world to fend for themselves, armed with nothing but empty souls and a burning desire to be thin. They head off to school, all efforts focused on starving. If they ain’t an anorexic yet, god damn it, they will be. And no one is going to stop them. They have the right to live the Pro-Ana way.

Visit Google on any given night, type in Pro-Ana to find hundreds, if not thousands, of young people absorbed in the pro-ana underground community.

Its a lifestyle, all encompassing. Once Ana gets her grip on you, she digs her nails in for the long haul. Those who escape alive are considered the lucky ones.

And with that, I’ll say goodnight. I’ll expect to wake up to the usual pro-ana firing line tomorrow. Looking forward to it.

-mamaV

(one of the lucky ones)

PARENTS: YOU NEED TO KNOW IF YOUR CHILD IS VISITING PRO-ANOREXIA WEB SITES. REACH OUT TO ME FOR STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY ARE DOING ONLINE.

The chew & spit routine may be old hat to pro-anorexics, but it is likely new to you. How do you enjoy the taste of the foods you love, without gaining weight?

You got it, chew, spit, repeat. I wish I was kidding. Here is a post from a pro ana asking for tips from her cohorts:

The first I heard of the chew & spit routine was from Brittney, in the THIN Documentary. The precious, young girl, who screamed “I just want to be THIN!” and reminisced about how she played the “chew & spit game” with her mother.

When you have your your own mother teaching you how to chew & spit your food, do you have a snowballs chance in hell developing as a normal, healthy, girl?

I doubt it, especially since the Dove Global Study: The Truty About Beauty proved the main person a girl looks to for advice and mentoring is her mother. Second in line is their peers.

Mothers, we have a huge responsibility here. But we also have an opportunity. An opportunity to change the tide, and not let our daughters grow up with the beauty and body image issues we had.

• Pay attention to what your daughters are doing online. Go to google and type in pro ana, or ana and mia. The prevalence of the forums that are dedicated to disordered eating is simply staggering.
• Watch your own eating behaviors and comments. If you ask your husband, “do I look fat” know that your daughter is listening and will soon be looking at her own reflection in the mirror wishing she looked better, or thinner, or prettier.
• Support each other. Aging is wonderful. With age comes wisdom, and peace of mind. Be a role model of how to age gracefully, instead of trying turn back the hands of time.

-mamaVISION

It’s been a while since I checked out the ole’ YouTube Thinspo videos….so I went for a troll this morning. Consider the time and energy young women spend to create these videos, creatively adding music, screen fades, and proanorexia text.

(PARENTS: DON’T LOOK AWAY THESE ARE REAL IMAGES……Yes, the Mary Kate and Ashley images says “I can be like them)

Pro-Anorexia = Trend in young women and men to be anorexic.

Ana & Mia = Code names for Pro Anorexia and Pro Bulimia

Thinspiration = A term used to describe pictures that help pro-anorexics stay on track with their goal to starve themselves.

Red Bracelet = A sign proanorexic’s were to identify to others of their clan. A status symbol of the pro-anorexia moment.

Think about the passion behind this video…this girl really had to pour her sad and lonely heart into this one.

Today’s Thinspiration Video is compliments of someone who calls herself “mamapapa” and choose the song “Save Me.” Think this her not so subtle a cry for help?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gN9YSj9jxpA]

I have had enough of the ProAna’s bashing me for “trolling” their sites and posting their public images on my flickr account.

1) I am watching you and I am not stopping.

2) If you post a “thinspiration” image of yourself on a proana site…its fair game.

3) I hope I expose you, whether you want to face it or not you need help.

4) You are playing with a fatal disease, and you believe you are untouchable.

Here is a sample of activity on the word “Thinspiration” from the past 24 hours. How many of the girls posting here are going to end up dead because no one seems to care what is going on here?

I’ve had it.

-mamaVISION

(aka The TROLL)

PS To Joey and other LJ women that engaged in conversations with me over the past month, I am not refering to you. I am refering to the ProAna wanna-bes. It’s just totally out of hand. I can not just sit here and say nothing about it.

We have had some healthy debates since the loss of Kristi and the Internet Suicide post. I wanted to thank you all for your heartfelt, pissed off, sometimes angry, sometimes sad comments – I can not thank you enough.

Here is what I have learned about the Pro-Anorexia community, thanks to you.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZNSc0BAxZk]

With that said, I think we need to separate eating disorder sufferers into groups – they are vast and different. We all tend to relate back to our own experiences and this can really limit our perspective. I see the differentiation as follows:

1 Anorexia/Bulimia is a brain disease.

Food and control go hand in hand. The control gained by restricting food intake is done in an attempt to compensate for feelings and emotions that may otherwise seem over-whelming. For some, dieting, bingeing, and purging may begin as a way to cope with painful emotions and to feel in control of one’s life, but ultimately, these behaviors will damage a person’s physical and emotional health, self-esteem, and sense of competence and control.

(Images from documentary THIN by Lauren Greenfield)

Studies show that in some individuals with eating disorders, certain brain chemicals that control hunger, appetite, and digestion are imbalanced. The exact meaning and implications of these imbalances remains under investigation.

Eating disorders often run in families. Current research is indicates that there are significant genetic contributions to eating disorders.

2 Anorexia/Bulimia is a media disease.

Women of today look to models and hollywood for their standard of beauty, thinspiration images fill their heads, and send these individuals on a quest to “be anorexic.”

One does not need to try to be anorexic if they fall into category #1 above. When your eating disorder stems from brain chemicals or genetics, your goal is to try NOT to be anorexic.

In the case of the anorexic wanna-be’s it seems the desire to be thin starts innocently enough but overtime evolves into something more complicated-something I equate to brainwashing.

You know what really scares me? This group seems to dominate the Pro-Anorexia sites and YouTube. Their influence can not be underestimated. Day after day I receive messages from women stating they are drawn to their Thinspiration videos and images even though they know how detrimental they are to their recovery.

3 Anorexia/Bulimia is a family disease.

Not don’t freak out here, I am not pulling the ole’ Giselle theory on you.

By saying “family” I mean to say that many girls can point back to a specific incident or one comment made by a family member and/or friend that seemed to immediately trigger their dieting, which evolved to restricting, purging, exercising and ultimately anorexia.

A grandpa that called you fat.

A sister that compared her thighs to yours.

A mom that dieted incessantly.

A father that spoke of women being fat.

Sound familiar? All too familiar, I hear these stories daily.

It is these types of comments that take us from here:

True Colors by Dove

To here:

THIN documentary

4 Anorexia/Bulimia is a combination of all of the above.

To confuse things more, many of us likely see parts of our disorder in 1, 2, and 3. So how to make sense of it all? I am not sure we need to. Instead focus on indentifying where your disorder stems from, and seek help. Professional help, perhaps supplemented by online forms of support. I do understand the insurance related issues many of you face, but please reach out to NEDA to see if there are free or discounted forms of treatment available.

—

Which brings me to my final thought for the day.

Pro-Anorexia groups are receiving a bad rap…time for a name change. You need to re-invent yourselves into something that is not an immediate RED FLAG to every parent out there, not to mention the media who loves to jump all over you.

Those of you who a receiving support from the Pro-Anorexia sites, namely the Live Journal friends who have posted here, what to you think of differentiating yourself from the pack? I really think this is essential. There is a site called WeBiteBack which may interest you. They call their group post-pro-anorexia.

Check it out and let me know your thoughts,

mamaVISION

(a.k.a. mamaV as I have come to be known by some. So hip.).

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The pro-anorexic community is consistent on one topic – they are a “support” site. I need some help grasping this girls.

where is the support? i don’t see it.

where is the love? i don’t feel it.

send me examples. specific examples.

a better life awaits. i am living proof.

trust me. i am on your side.

XOXO

-mamaVISION

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiTkekeTuBE]

Anorexia has killed yet another, but this time the death of a young girl is documented, minute by minute, for the world to see.

Kristi, the ring leader of the Live Journal Pro-Anorexia site documents her last moments of life on the post below, proving yet again the adapting pro-ana lifestyle is messing with fire.

No fear pro-anas, your journals will not miss a beat. Your new leader immediately took over for Kristi, reiterated the PRO-ANA MISSION, and dedicated to convincing us all you are an eating disorder “support” site.

Hold your comments Pro-Anas: I have no intention of interfering with your beloved sites, since I am a believer in free speech and removing the pro-ana sites from the web serves no purpose. I refuse to put my head in the sand.

My purpose is to educate. Educate parents, friends, and family on the rampant nature of the Pro-Anorexia community online.

My message is getting through, I receive comments from girls from all over the world that admit they visit your sick community, and have realized you are leading them down a path towards destruction.

PARENTS, HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW.

These are the bracelets they where, proud of their starvation lifestyle. The bracelets readily available online:

This is their status symbol. A feeding tube, afterall, proves you are a hard core anorexic:

This is what they stress about, a day over 200 calories is a total crisis:

These are their proud snapshots, showing off their accomplishments for all to see:

Why do I care? This was me, a model at 16, 5’9, 125 pounds and miserable as hell. My self confidence stripped from me by my Modeling agent and the Fashion Industry.

No one is going to tell me that the Media does not play a role in anorexia- not in every case, but in many.

The worst part of this story? The pro-anorexic girls I “featured” here would be proud to have their skeletons highlighted for the world to see. Their starvation success achieved, the attention they crave fulfilled.

If you want to join my cause, please leave your comments on the Official Public Petition to the Council of American Fashion Designers.

Together we can end this absolute madness.

-mamaVISION

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=IiTkekeTuBE&v2]

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Hi Ana and Mia: Here is a Thinspiration video for you. Sometimes tough love is the way to go girls.

-mamaVISION

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stH-LRTjEC0]

I know that many Pro Ana’s are finding my site, so I thought I would write a post direct to you.

How do I know? My blog stats tell me so.

Day after day, I look at the terms individuals are typing in to find me, and they are always the same. One one hand this makes me happy, since I hope that I am a positive influence in some small way. On the other hand, this breaks my heart.

These stats show the volume of girls looking online for pro-anorexia advice and Thinspiration, day after day after day.

I am not an Ana basher, I believe the sites do help some ED sufferers and provide support…but I also believe they can be like shouting fire. I do not support shutting the sites down, since we can not stick our head in the sand and pretend this problem and sad need does not exist.

Here’s my latest YouTube video…perhaps this will inspire you to try something new this weekend.

Take care, all my love,

-mamaVISION

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcBQFgFiklc]

Anorexia is classified as a brain disorder. In a landmark announcement October 2006, Thomas R. Insel, M.D, Director of The National Institute of Mental Heath states “While symptoms are behavioral, this illness has a biological core, with genetic components, changes in brain activity, and neural pathways currently under study.”

I want to share with you some of the inspiring messages I have received on my blog relating to the Ana & Mia craze on the web.

For those of you new to my blog Ana is code for Pro-anorexia and Mia is code for Pro-Bulimia. These terms need to be known and understood by parents, doctors, teachers, and others who are role models for children.

To the Ana & Mia’s out there, you do not need to be concerned that I will seek to take away your right to express yourselves online. What I do hope is that when you exhaust yourself with your Ana & Mia lifestyle, you know help is out there. You will exhaust yourself, if you don’t end up in the hospital first. There is no happy ending for Ana & Mia, the lifestyle is a literal nighmare….and those of you promoting this lifestyle know this truth in your heart.

Below are the bold and brave statements I would like to call to your attention. These women deserve some recognition for working to kicking Ana & Mia to the curb:

Leah: I absolutely loved your Ana & Mia video! I’m 25 and have struggled with anorexia/bulimia since I was about 12. I’m currently in the process of recovering. When I was younger, I used ana/mia sites for the ‘tips and tricks’. I loved that I could lose myself in the site to keep from eating. Now that I look back I realize that I was going to be hungry no matter what and a website wasn’t going to keep my stomach from growling 24/7. It helped me to believe that what I was doing was okay. Even now, I have to be really careful about avoiding these sites. (and they are EVERYWHERE!) It’s such a major trigger for me now. Looking back, I realize how disgusting the pictures are, and I would never want to be that thin, but I was. I had such a distorted self-image that I was always positive I was 50 pounds heavier than the pictures. Now I’m finally able to see myself as I am, and I’m beginning to accept the fact that I could stand to gain a few pounds. The pro ana/mia sites only help to keep you stuck in that cycle. Thankfully, it’s a cycle that I’m finding my way out of, slowly but surely.

KAY: I applaud you for shedding light on the role that the web plays. Sadly, i have to admit that i am a member of many of these sites. I have always thought of the pro-ana sites as a place to go and get “support.” I figured because the people on those sites are going through what i am going through, then there would be no judgement. I have recieved and given advice on the various postings, but i have always thought of it as giving anorexia and bulimia a “safer” alternative..to minimize risk (if there is such a thing). I did find that these sites start to consume every part of my day. Instead of doing research for term papers, i am busy looking up more tips. Bravo to you and chris athas for uncovering these things, and trying to help people avoid these evil pitfalls.

Kristi: The author of Ana Creed, intended to give others insight to the depths of dispare suffers of eating disorders sink to.

I wrote this creed about six years ago. And when I wrote it, I was already mostly over the attitudes described. I no longer feel this way about myself or my life or food. However, I think that it does give a very accurate depiction of the depths of self hatred felt by many people with an eating disorder.

I’ve also recently found out that this creed has been adopted by a number of “Pro anorexia” sites, without any attribution or copyright information. If you find such a site, please let me know: I do not condone a pro anorexia attitude nor is this creed intended to express such. I wrote it in order to give other people an understanding into the feelings and thoughts that underlie an eating disorder. I have no affiliations or links with any of the pro-ana sites out there, nor do I recommend this creed as a way of living, even though, in the midst of anorexic starvation, it can seem like the only way to be.

Ana and Mia when you are ready for help, it is waiting.

Call the eating disorders hotline 1-800-931-2237.

Email me.

Confide in a parent, teacher or friend.

You can create a better life for yourself.

The pro-anorexic community has been bashed, threatened and shut down across the web. Shutting down these sites, is like stuffing our problems in the closet.

It is certainly true that some pro-ana sites “shout fire,” as accused by NEDA a few weeks ago. But there are others which offer true support and accurate eating disorder information to their members. The site users are seeking support online since they are obviously not getting this support at home, at school or elsewhere….so they hide their pain and share it with others that suffer the same as they do.

Once of the most active sites ProAna Nation was threatened by a user, which forced the site owner to shut down her guestbook in fear of her own safety.

At any given time you log on to this site, there are 60-80 users online chatting. What does that tell us? Our children are in pain. They are sharing their thoughts, feelings, and yes, their unhealthy rituals with their online friends.

Where are the parents? Why aren’t they asking questions? Why aren’t they noticing their eating habits? Why aren’t they noticing their LOW SELF ESTEEM?

Here is a message to ProAna Nation and its members:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVGECl5PB6A]

Like it or not, we have created this monster. We have a generation of girls who look to the media, models, and hollywood for their role models. Their self esteem is shot, they don’t have anyone to show them a different way, so the web is now becoming their most powerful form of communication.

This is WAY beyond the pressures us 30′ somethings had to deal with….its not even in the same league.

Parents open your eyes. Your most precious possession is crumbling before you…. you must take notice.

“Like shouting fire,” is how Chris Athas, Vice President of the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders describes Pro Anorexia web sites. “These people with these sites claim that they are representing a lifestyle, but they are representing a dangerous illness.”

The creators of pro ana sites claim they are offering support to their users. Support in the form of secret diets designed to keep your calorie intake under 200 per day, illegal sale of diet drugs, and tips like drinking hot water with a bullion cube (“only 5 calories and they taste wonderful”)

Is your child wearing a red beaded bracelet? This could be a symbol of their participation in the pro-ana community.

Today I read about a new study with some facts you need to be aware of.

“Surfing for Thinness: A Pilot Study of Pro-Eating Disorder Web Site Usage in Adolescents with Eating Disorders,” published this week in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, she and her colleagues reported the results of a survey of eating-disorder patients and their parents.

They found that patients who used pro-eating-disorder sites were sick longer and spent less time doing schoolwork. Patients who used both pro-eating-disorder and pro-recovery sites were admitted to the hospital more times than nonusers.

A few other key findings:

96% of respondents who visited pro-eating-disorder sites said they learned new weight loss or purging techniques….scary statistic, but the study goes on to say 46% learned new weight loss or purging techniques on the pro-recovery sites as well.

Seven out of 10 users of pro-eating-disorder sites said they used the new techniques they learned; a third used new diet pills, supplements or laxatives. Parents had little knowledge of their teen’s visits to these sites.

In November, the Academy for Eating Disorders issued a warning about the proliferation of sites promoting anorexia and asked government officials and Internet service providers to require warning screens for them. AED president Eric van Furth suggested a statement like “Warning: anorexia nervosa is a potentially deadly illness. The site you are about to enter provides material that may be detrimental to your health.” Parents, take note.

I realize that by posting these videos I may be adding fuel to the Ana fire. However, this is just a very small sampling of what can be found all over the web, so the Ana’s & Mia’s will find them anyway.

My goal is to raise awareness to women and mothers who are totally unaware of the Pro-Ana lifestyle, so you can talk with the girls in your life, watch their eating behaviors, and encourage a healthy body image.

The first video is Pro-Ana (code for PRO ANOREXIA, yes there is such a thing).

The second is a video from a model in France. I was tricked. The first time I watched it, I thought she was trying to point out the misery in being a model and anorexic. Watch it twice and you will see she is a Pro-Ana.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-udeC9-NmQ]

Ana Angel by youtube elitegirl

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piMY_E7qLO4]

Our job as adult women is to:

1) not look away

2) be role models for our girls

3) understand what fuels this mental illness – LOW SELF ESTEEM (or I should say NO self esteem).

It starts young, statistics are showing that around 9-10 girls get on the dieting bandwagon, so please be aware of your own behaviors to assure you are not in any way contributing to their body image issues.

If each of us makes a difference in one or two girls lives, we can turn this around.

Be here now.

In my last post Ana & Mia, I posted a declaration statement I found on one of the pro-anorexia sites called the “Ana Creed.” In response, I received a heart-felt message from the creed’s original author, Kirsti, who informed me she wrote the creed during her recovery from anorexia.

Kristi, does not condone pro-ana sites as she states on her site;

Note: I wrote this creed about six years ago. And when I wrote it, I was already mostly over the attitudes described. I no longer feel this way about myself or my life or food. However, I think that it does give a very accurate depiction of the depths of self hatred felt by many people with an eating disorder.

I’ve also recently found out that this creed has been adopted by a number of “Pro anorexia” sites, without any attribution or copyright information. If you find such a site, please let me know: I do not condone a pro anorexia attitude nor is this creed intended to express such. I wrote it in order to give other people an understanding into the feelings and thoughts that underlie an eating disorder. I have no affiliations or links with any of the pro-ana sites out there, nor do I recommend this creed as a way of living, even though, in the midst of anorexic starvation, it can seem like the only way to be.

I don’t necessarily think it is a bad thing Kristi’s Ana Creed is being grabbed by pro-ana’s and posted to their site. Instead, I suggest we face reality and think about why girls are relating to it and gravitating to its words of self hatred. At least the pro-ana’s are putting themselves out there to be found and hopefully saved by someone they love. I don’t believe anyone truly wants to live in the state of anorexia. It is hell. They know its hell and they aren’t kidding anyone by their posts of righteousness and camaraderie.

I compare this pro-ana movement to the drug scene. Parents who bury their head in the sand and pretend their kids are not doing drugs, or experimenting at school, are kidding themselves. Parents who think, its just a phase, are absorbed in their own beliefs.

Anorexia and bulimia is not a phase.

Once you have an eating disorder you will always have it. It will always haunt you somewhere in your memories, poking its head out to remind you of what you once were and reminding you that you are welcome back at anytime.

Mothers don’t turn away from this. Your daughters are facing beauty and body image issues right now, and if you aren’t their role model, who is going to be? My bet – Lindsay and Nicole.

If you are someone struggling with an ugly eating disorder and you need help, reach out to someone you can trust. Reach out to me. I will point you in the right direction so you can get on the right path and start enjoying your life, your body, and your self. There is a different life out there, you just don’t see it right now.

Get started on a new path today. Your life is now.

Mirror-Mirror

National Eating Disorder Association