Pro anorexia sites are easy to find and hard to ignore, especially for teenagers suffering from anorexia. While some teens may start out looking online for help to combat anorexia, they are likely to stumble on pro anorexia web sites, which can make their anorexia worse.
One of the main reasons that those with anorexia say that they visit pro anorexia web sites is to be in contact with others going through the same things as them. While support is often the foundation for treating eating disorders (as well as other diseases and disorders), these web site visitors are encouraging each other to continue with anorexia. Many of the pro anorexia websites offer tips to promote starvation or binge-eating as well as how to hide the disease. This can be very dangerous, especially for people who do not understand the seriousness of the disease or who do not recognize how extreme their own illness has become. Even those who believe that they have their own disease under control and share information to promote anorexia can be inadvertently contributing to the illness and even death of others.
Parents who are concerned about their children's involvement with an eating disorder should be aware of all the avenues with which they could be accessing pro anorexia information. Seemingly innocent websites such as Facebook and Myspace are full of pro anorexia groups, where teens (and sometimes those that are younger or older) trade information and tips to continue their disorder. While networking sites and other Web hosts attempt to delete sites that promote self harm, it is difficult for them to keep up. Constantly being in touch with others who promote anorexia may encourage teens to view anorexia as normal as opposed to a dangerous illness. In fact, many of the pro anorexia web sites claim that anorexia is a "lifestyle choice" as opposed to a disease.
Pro anorexia web sites make it even more difficult for parents to help their children get treatment. Besides the fact that these sites are helping teens to conceal the disease, they are offering encouragement to continue the practice of starvation and/or purging. To combat the message that anorexia is glamorous, parents need to explain that anorexia is very dangerous, which can be easier said than done. The best way to treat anorexia is with professional help.
 | If you are a parent or a loved one of a child suffering from the signs of Anorexia, knowing the symptoms, health risks and treatment options could save your child's life. |
 | Male anorexia may not be as common as it is in women, but it certainly happens and can be just as devastating. |
 | Social causes of anorexia are contributing to the disease and worsening its effects on teenagers. Unfortunately, anorexia has become an almost glamorous disorder to have, something which actresses and models seem to constantly be dealing with. |
The side effects of anorexia can be so severe that they shorten a person's life. Learn about the mental and physical dangers asssociated with this disease. |
Learning how to treat anorexia begins with an understanding that the disease is psychological in nature. Constant, loving support is required to break the mental barriers that keep anorexics from building a healthy relationship with food. |
