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by Reena Daruwalla, guest writer for Nancy Hayssen.com

I recently came across some curious terms in articles I was reading around the net, such as Pro- Ana, Pro- Mia, Thinspiration etc. I decided to investigate and what I found was not just shocking but sad as well.

• “This is forever. I will do whatever it takes. I want to be thin more than anything, even food”
• “One day I will be thin enough. Just the bones, no disfiguring flesh. Just the pure clear shape of me, bones. That is what we all are, what we’re made up of and everything else is just storage, deposit, waste. Strip it away, use it up”
• “Food hinders your progress”
• “How many pounds till I am happy, how many pounds till I get thin? Three more pounds till I am skinny, three more pounds and I win!”
• “When you coast without eating for a significant period of time, and you are still alive, you begin to scoff at those fools who believe they must eat to live. It is blatantly obvious to you that this is not true”

How scary is this!

Pro Ana is a concept that rejects Anorexia Nervosa as an eating disorder or condition that requires medical intervention. While some Pro Ana Mia sites groups / forums / organizations are for offering support to socially-isolated Anorexics, others attempt to explain Anorexia as a “lifestyle choice” that should be respected by doctors and family.

These groups or forums are usually places where crash dieting techniques and recipes are shared, members compete to lose weight or organize group fasting, share how to hide weight loss from parents and/or doctors. While information about maximizing safety of practicing anorexia is shared what is also shared, worryingly is advice on how best to induce vomiting or about how to use laxatives and emetics.

So what is thinspiration then? It is image or video montages of slim women, often celebrities, who may be anything from naturally slim to emaciated with visibly-protruding bones. Then there is also, reverse thinspiration which may take the form of photographs of fatty food, overweight or obese people intended to induce disgust and motivate further weight loss.

Like I said, really scary!