Londons Fashion Week opens today. And as it reignites the debate over too-thin models, the Royal College of Psychiatrists is asking the British government to do something about pro-anorexia websites.

A Sept. 17 Reuters article provided the following information about the effort to regulate or eradicate websites that encourage the unhealthy eating practices that can lead to eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder:

Encouraged by social networking sites like Facebook and "thinspiration" Web sites, growing numbers of Britons are looking online to get tips on how to starve themselves or hide extreme weight loss, says the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

"(These) Web sites normalize illness," said Ulrike Schmidt, chair of the college's eating disorders section.

The report calls on the government to tackle the proliferation of pro-eating disorder sites as part of its wider efforts to safeguard children on the Internet through the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS).

Nearly 90 percent of eating disorder sufferers in Britain are teenage girls, and experts report that one in 10 repeatedly visit pro-eating disorder websites.

Labels: pro-ana, online, pro-mia, websites

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Microsoft's Spain division has shut down four websites that were promoting anorexia and bulimia. The shut down came as the result of a request by Iqua, an Internet quality control agency.

"It was the first time in Spain that a company housing Internet sites has shut down web pages seen as promoting eating disorders following a complaint from authorities, Iqua said."

Spanish authorities banned another site in January that planned to run a "calorie-reduction" contest where girls could earn "points" based how drastically they were able to cut their daily caloric intake.

Labels: pro-ana, pro-mia

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A pro-eating disorder web site is a place where unhealthy eating (or non-eating) habits are encouraged. Many teens who want to loose weight find their way to these sites, which reinforce negative body image and low self-esteem.

"Potentially dangerous venues include Web sites where people who engage in disordered eating gather to discuss their activities. A majority of these sites have sections where people share tips and techniques 'that I would consider as a physician fairly harmful,' [Dr. Rebecca] Peebles said."

Dr. Peebles conducted a study from 1997 to 2004 in which she found that 41% of teen patients had visited a pro-eating disorder Web site. Of these patients, half of their parents had no idea they were visiting the Web sites. Read more at HonoluluAdvertiser.com.

Eating disorders may be not be the only issue facing your teen. An adolescent residential treatment program can help get to the root of your teen's problems and create a treatment plan. Learn more about residential treatment programs for teens, like The Aspen Insitute of Behavioral Assessment, at www.aspenassessment.com.

Labels: pro-ana, pro-mia, influences

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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

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Despite a 10-year effort by search engines such as Yahoo and MSN to shut down websites that promote eating disorders, many are still operating and promoting anorexia and bulimia as positive lifestyle choices.

According to a new study published in the American Journal of Public Health, over 90 percent of these websites are open to the public, 83 percent provide advice on how to engage in eating disordered behaviors, and only 38 percent include links or information on how to recover from eating disorders.

"Pro-ana," "pro-mia," and "thinspiration" websites usually have pictures of emaciated young women, often attractive celebrities and models. Contributors often discuss the themes of success, control, perfection, and solidarity, according to the study. Most advise people who criticize the lifestyle to leave the website.

Labels: pro-ana, pro-mia, websites

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