One of Singapore's most popular websites this year is that of a 20-year-old who flaunts his extraordinarily thin body and laments about needing to lose more weight. It has experts worried, especially as they see a dramatic increase in the number of people developing eating disorders.

Medical studies show anorexia has become an endemic problem in Asian countries, whether in industrial powerhouses such as Japan and South Korea or emerging economies like India. Singapore is no exception, with the Eating Disorders Programme [sic] of Singapore General Hospital reporting five new cases a month. (Source: Independent Online)

Psychiatrist Ken Ung notes that eating disorders are relatively new to Singapore, and curiosity about the disease may also fuel its rising popularity. Currently, 13.4 percent of Singapores population is between the ages of 15 and 24 -- the demographic most susceptible to eating disorders.

Labels: eating disorders, internet, asia

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A study conducted by the government of Germany has found a dramatic increase in the number of web sites that promote and encourage eating disorders. According to a report titled “Youth Protection on the Internet,” the government found 328 pro-eating disorder sites in 2009, a huge jump from the 250 that were found the year before.

“[The study] noted that operators of the websites were often young people with eating disorders who were not interested in therapy. The websites used slogans like ‘being thin is more important than being healthy,’ and showed pictures of extremely thin women.” [Source: Earth Times]

The study also found that these web sites primarily attracted girls who were 16-years-old and younger.

 

Labels: pro-ana, pro-mia, internet

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 1 Comment