I'm Not Hungry

1. Pro-ana and pro-mia websites have created a scary community of undercover, distressed females who blog about their practices of anorexia and bulimia. After viewing the sites and blogs, the conversation appears extremely disturbing to an outsider like me, but completely normal in their world. One girl stated how she never craves anything, but was craving salt, so that was her choice of “food” to consume for that day. Another girl had her “GWs”, or goal weights, listed by date as a list of inspiration as well. It is upsetting and uneasy to see these people not only going along with their eating disorder, but consciously making an effort to be pro-active about it. These sites are unhealthy and should be abolished. The physical health of society is being compromised as well as mental and emotional health. Easy access to such explicit bodily corruption is unsafe and twisted.

2. After reading and analyzing the pro-ana and pro-mia websites, I found that they act as a therapy for lost, confused females. Women who feel uncomfortable in their own skin and dislike themselves run to these sites for support that a person can not find anywhere else. The conversation and motivational interactions between the site’s participants appears as a sisterhood and support group. Being a female, I will willingly admit that weight is one of the top subjects on a girl’s mind. So what could be better than having a network of supporters? No other place in the world would actually supply such raw ambition to lose weight to better the confidence of a person.

3. Before researching on the web, I never really knew much about pro-ana and pro-mia networks. However, it is understood why people who are educated on the controversy might feel that they are completely absurd due to the actions of encouraging EDs. Contradicting the matter, the sites almost seem to uphold the morale of many of its participants. So if the sites were taken away or eliminated, it is hard to say what the effects would be. One viewpoint, again, would probably think it would be what is best for society. But what would happen to the community of people who have participated religiously in their eating rituals and used them as havens of escape? Taking away such hidden worlds could possibly turn out to be a huge dilemma.