Support Group or Self Hate Club?

1. Pro anorexia websites and blogs are absolutely not the answer for women who are struggling with eating disorders. While such websites may prevent themselves as “support groups” they in fact do nothing to help their members, and only cause sufferers to go deeper and deeper down the wrong path. I see them as nothing more than a chance for anorexic and bulimic girls to brag about their conditions, and even strengthen the notion that what they are doing is right and makes them beautiful. On one pro ana message board, a poster questions the life style she is currently leading: “But is this really the life I want? Everyone thinks I'm happy. But I'm miserable.” This is a rare instance of a young lady at one of these websites who recognizes that she has a problem that needs to be addressed. But she will not find that help here. Make no mistake, these women do deserve our support, but the way to lend support in this case is not to have them all come together and further convince one another that they have the right idea. We need to put an end to the blogs and websites that only make this situation worse and begin to get these innocent young women the help that they need and deserve.

2. While pro anorexia websites may not be the best way to help women who are suffering from eating disorders, they are an important part of the lives of many victims and we would be ill advised to dismantle them. It is important that we all realize that as strange as these sites and blogs may appear to us, and as unhelpful as we think they are, we really cannot begin to understand what is going through the mind of an anorexic or bulimic person. People with either disorder most certainly know that. And that is exactly the reason we cannot just step in and shut these places down. Aside from the questionable free speech issues that could arise from taking down websites that are only meant to be helpful and do not violate any laws, these girls simply need a place where they do not feel alone. A pro ana website user named Claire explains eloquently what the sites mean to her: “But at the end of the day, I can go online and talk to them there and I don’t have to worry about them judging me for how I feel.” It is clearly difficult for anyone with an eating disorder to talk to someone who is not and never has gone through their situation, and even if one attempts to do so, speaking with someone who doesn’t know what it’s like for them can only get them so far. Eating disorders are dangerous enough as they are. Perhaps the single worst thing we could do would be to make victims feel as if they are alone. That is the consequence of shutting down these sites.

3. It is apparent that pro ana websites and blogs do very little to fix the problems associated with eating disorders or to change the behavior of girls who have them. That does not mean, however, that they serve no purpose and should be banned. Therefore, the solution to this conflict must
1. Continue to allow the website and blog creators and followers to post content that may be considered controversial or unpleasant to others
2. Continue to give young women with eating disorders the opportunity to speak with others who understand their feelings and actions and do not judge them
3. Offer women something more than just a dialogue with fellow victims who may not have any intention of trying to change their ways.
The first two points, being mere continuations of our current policies, let us examine further the final one. While there is something to be said for having a place that women can go to and not feel alone, that is simply not enough when we are dealing with diseases that are potentially life threatening. They cannot only be given one side of the story, which is too likely to be the case when most people who suffer from eating disorders do not feel like they are doing anything wrong. These sites should feature stories of real women who overcame their struggles and are now leading better, healthier lives, and visitors should be given the opportunity to speak with these women just as easily as they can talk with those who are currently anorexic or bulimic. For sites that have message boards, there should be a folder with links to resources for anyone who is actively trying to get over their disorder and a section where girls who have decided to seek help can tell each other about how they’re doing as well as provide encouragement and motivation for those who are in the same situation. This way the women at pro ana sites do not have to feel like they are just suffering together, they are getting better together as well.