- Main Entry:
- 1dis·or·der
- Pronunciation:
- \(ˌ)dis-ˈȯr-dər, (ˌ)diz-\
- Function:
- transitive verb
- Date:
- 15th century
1 : to disturb the order of 2 : to disturb the regular or normal functions of
Anti - Ana
So there are these websites out there floating in cyberspace that most people will find deplorable. There are websites where people dress up in leather and spank each other..websites featuring grown women dressed in fur costumes with whiskers and whiplashes, and there are even websites where Christian teenagers can meet others of the same ilk to try to find true love (disgusting).
Then there are websites whose sole purpose appears to be enabling the behavior of irrational young women almost to the point of death. These websites are labeled "Pro-Ana" (or pro-anorexia, as in FOR ANOREXIA).
Two such sites, Livejournals Pro-Ana Community and House of Thin, are pillars of the Pro Anorexia community and operate as a hive of information and activity among those that wish not to eat even a single calorie for the day. They hide behind the mask that they are not truly pro anorexia sites, but instead are intended to be a helpful place where anyone suffering from an eating disorder can go to learn helpful information about eating correctly again, therapy, and suicide prevention.
Unfortunately they don't work that way. On the front page of Livejournal's community is a list of recent comments by members. Most of them seem truly pro anorexic, as they speak volumes about their psychology as they list the meager amounts of food they have consumed that day, or simply profess their random, chaotic thoughts about their eating disorder, how they view themselves, how the people around them treat them knowing they have a disorder, and other things that are not innocuous to those reading them.
House of Thin is similar, but possibly more menacing. They have a comforting, warm website design, with thick velvet curtains draped over their logo and a warm, vibrant background reminiscent of the Victorian carpeting that insulated the grand mansions and castles of the mid 19th Century. It appears they are actually having a party, a binging and purging or starving party, right there on the website. They seem eager to lure in the minds of insecure, young females and ensnare them in the philosophy of thin. Their words on the front page warning people that inside their website you will find nothing like tricks, tips or "thinspiration" does little to actually repel any person from wandering into their forums to seek "help" from other deranged individuals.
These websites enable this type of behavior by showing those that suffer from it that others are going through the same thing, and the fact that most of them are perfectly happy with it betrays a naive assumption that it is OK to partake in such behavior. Pro-ana websites look to affirm that this behavior is perfectly acceptable, or that these girls are part of a group of special individuals who show the utmost willpower in their daily activities by preventing the consumption of nutrition or the ability to eat as much as they can before forcing them to vomit it back up. This is a lack of willpower, because it is their body image that is forcing them to do these things to themselves. True willpower is the ability to see that you are who you are without necessitating life threatening changes in your life so that you can be popular, fit in, or exceed limitations.
They make the logical fallacy that since they are a large community of people suffering from the same types of disorders, that somehow they know what is best for the community at large, and they are not truly offering help to their members by directing them to the proper authorities. They tell you that seeking help from family and friends is unnecessary, thus their members tend to hide their true feelings and psychosis from those around them in the false belief that those people will turn their backs on them. Worse, they air a feeling of self righteousness on the topic, stating that it is a way of life or a lifestyle rather than a disease. Because of that they are dangerous to the people who view the websites.
Pro-Ana
Americans are fat. There is no doubt about it. The United States has blown up to epic proportions thanks to the constant assault of fast food advertisements and cheap nutrition packed into inexpensive packages served to you at a moment's notice whenever you get an urge to gorge yourself with fat, cholesterol and calories. I find it quite refreshing that I see women dieting to the extreme and working out until all hours of the night.
People have problems. Most people in some area of their lives are not absolutely normal. The fact that we allow websites to gather these people in search of others like them is part of why America is such a great country to live in (most of the servers of these websites are based in America). To take away the abnormal would be akin to taking away people's humanity. These women with disorders should feel safe when they confess their problems, thoughts, and feelings in a web community of like minded individuals. If you want to cut yourself and show the pictures on the internet, that is your prerogative. If that is what you want to do, then do it, and don't let other people tell you you shouldn't do it.
Think about the amount of energy we save by allowing these women to consume as little food as possible also. That food can go towards feeding the poor, the dredges of society that no one cares about. Obviously people care about these girls with an ED, so it is time to spread around the care to others who could not possibly procure food even if their lives depended on it.
To Be an Ana Centrist
Obviously these eating disorders are bad. They are the most severe and most lethal of any psychological disorder known to man, from heart disease to suicide, more women die from anorexia nervosa and bulimia than of any other mood disorder. Someone needs to help these women.
That help can be found in these Pro-Ana communities, as long as they are strongly moderated by people who actually care for the members rather than those who will only enable this type of disorder. For me to claim a disgust of what these websites are trying to accomplish would be hypocritical. I am not perfect myself, and I should not judge anorexics or bulimics. I fear that their lives are in danger, that they need to eat in order to stay healthy and survive, but it certainly isn't my place to point a finger of blame at them when I do not know them, or tell them that they are worthless. Everyone needs to be willing to listen to these individuals and point them in the right direction towards a successful future. These Pro-Ana sites have the ability to do that as long as those running them are willing to be objective about the situation.
Anti - Ana
So there are these websites out there floating in cyberspace that most people will find deplorable. There are websites where people dress up in leather and spank each other..websites featuring grown women dressed in fur costumes with whiskers and whiplashes, and there are even websites where Christian teenagers can meet others of the same ilk to try to find true love (disgusting).
Then there are websites whose sole purpose appears to be enabling the behavior of irrational young women almost to the point of death. These websites are labeled "Pro-Ana" (or pro-anorexia, as in FOR ANOREXIA).
Two such sites, Livejournals Pro-Ana Community and House of Thin, are pillars of the Pro Anorexia community and operate as a hive of information and activity among those that wish not to eat even a single calorie for the day. They hide behind the mask that they are not truly pro anorexia sites, but instead are intended to be a helpful place where anyone suffering from an eating disorder can go to learn helpful information about eating correctly again, therapy, and suicide prevention.
Unfortunately they don't work that way. On the front page of Livejournal's community is a list of recent comments by members. Most of them seem truly pro anorexic, as they speak volumes about their psychology as they list the meager amounts of food they have consumed that day, or simply profess their random, chaotic thoughts about their eating disorder, how they view themselves, how the people around them treat them knowing they have a disorder, and other things that are not innocuous to those reading them.
House of Thin is similar, but possibly more menacing. They have a comforting, warm website design, with thick velvet curtains draped over their logo and a warm, vibrant background reminiscent of the Victorian carpeting that insulated the grand mansions and castles of the mid 19th Century. It appears they are actually having a party, a binging and purging or starving party, right there on the website. They seem eager to lure in the minds of insecure, young females and ensnare them in the philosophy of thin. Their words on the front page warning people that inside their website you will find nothing like tricks, tips or "thinspiration" does little to actually repel any person from wandering into their forums to seek "help" from other deranged individuals.
These websites enable this type of behavior by showing those that suffer from it that others are going through the same thing, and the fact that most of them are perfectly happy with it betrays a naive assumption that it is OK to partake in such behavior. Pro-ana websites look to affirm that this behavior is perfectly acceptable, or that these girls are part of a group of special individuals who show the utmost willpower in their daily activities by preventing the consumption of nutrition or the ability to eat as much as they can before forcing them to vomit it back up. This is a lack of willpower, because it is their body image that is forcing them to do these things to themselves. True willpower is the ability to see that you are who you are without necessitating life threatening changes in your life so that you can be popular, fit in, or exceed limitations.
They make the logical fallacy that since they are a large community of people suffering from the same types of disorders, that somehow they know what is best for the community at large, and they are not truly offering help to their members by directing them to the proper authorities. They tell you that seeking help from family and friends is unnecessary, thus their members tend to hide their true feelings and psychosis from those around them in the false belief that those people will turn their backs on them. Worse, they air a feeling of self righteousness on the topic, stating that it is a way of life or a lifestyle rather than a disease. Because of that they are dangerous to the people who view the websites.
Pro-Ana
Americans are fat. There is no doubt about it. The United States has blown up to epic proportions thanks to the constant assault of fast food advertisements and cheap nutrition packed into inexpensive packages served to you at a moment's notice whenever you get an urge to gorge yourself with fat, cholesterol and calories. I find it quite refreshing that I see women dieting to the extreme and working out until all hours of the night.
People have problems. Most people in some area of their lives are not absolutely normal. The fact that we allow websites to gather these people in search of others like them is part of why America is such a great country to live in (most of the servers of these websites are based in America). To take away the abnormal would be akin to taking away people's humanity. These women with disorders should feel safe when they confess their problems, thoughts, and feelings in a web community of like minded individuals. If you want to cut yourself and show the pictures on the internet, that is your prerogative. If that is what you want to do, then do it, and don't let other people tell you you shouldn't do it.
Think about the amount of energy we save by allowing these women to consume as little food as possible also. That food can go towards feeding the poor, the dredges of society that no one cares about. Obviously people care about these girls with an ED, so it is time to spread around the care to others who could not possibly procure food even if their lives depended on it.
To Be an Ana Centrist
Obviously these eating disorders are bad. They are the most severe and most lethal of any psychological disorder known to man, from heart disease to suicide, more women die from anorexia nervosa and bulimia than of any other mood disorder. Someone needs to help these women.
That help can be found in these Pro-Ana communities, as long as they are strongly moderated by people who actually care for the members rather than those who will only enable this type of disorder. For me to claim a disgust of what these websites are trying to accomplish would be hypocritical. I am not perfect myself, and I should not judge anorexics or bulimics. I fear that their lives are in danger, that they need to eat in order to stay healthy and survive, but it certainly isn't my place to point a finger of blame at them when I do not know them, or tell them that they are worthless. Everyone needs to be willing to listen to these individuals and point them in the right direction towards a successful future. These Pro-Ana sites have the ability to do that as long as those running them are willing to be objective about the situation.
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