What are Pro-ana Websites?
“Pro-ana” (a truncation of “pro-anorexia”) is a term used to describe websites that actively promote anorexia. These sites feature tips on how to avoid eating, pictures of near-skeletal supermodels, “success” stories from girls who have lost dangerous amounts of weight, and various other types of “thinspiration.” You’ll also find sister “pro-mia” sites which cater to bulimic web users. Note that there is an effort underway to change the terms pro-ana and pro-mia into positive ones associated with eating disorder recovery. While a handful of good and helpful sites will bear these labels, the majority of them are still dangerous sites encouraging teens to starve themselves or intentionally throw up. Pro-ana and pro-mia sites are a perfect example of the Internet’s dual nature: the web is a powerful tool, both for good and for bad.
