Pro-ana---short for "pro-anorexia"---is a term used to describe the belief that eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia are lifestyle choices rather than mental illnesses. Weight loss methods associated with pro-ana groups include dangerous techniques such as starvation, purging or excessive exercising. The health risks of the pro-ana lifestyle can be serious and include heart failure, irreversible organ damage and death.
Pro-Ana Beliefs and Lifestyle
Pro-ana groups promote losing weight by any means necessary, such as food deprivation or excessive exercising. While groups differ in their exact definitions of pro-ana, the basic belief that weight loss comes before health and well-being is central to the lifestyle. Some groups use the term to promote the empowerment of people with eating disorders, while others openly support unhealthy and dangerous practices associated with anorexia and bulimia.
Websites and Support Groups
The internet is central to the existence of the pro-ana lifestyle. Websites often include forums and chat areas in which members share tips on rapid weight loss techniques, such as fasting, starvation or crash diets. Members may post pictures of dangerously thin models and entertainment figures as inspiration to lose weight---a practice referred to as "thinspiration." Many other pro-ana terms, such as "Mia" (affectionate term for bulimia) and "ED" (abbreviation for eating disorder) are commonly used by members in chat rooms and forums.
Many pro-ana websites include a disclaimer regarding the dangers of eating disorders and absolving the creators of the sites from any responsibility for the actions of their members.
Weight Loss Methods
Many pro-ana groups exploit the insecurities of their members, using fear of rejection and judgment as a motivator for weight loss. Using formats similar to Jenny Craig and other legitimate weight loss programs, pro-ana websites seek to normalize the unhealthy habits of people with eating disorders.
Weight loss techniques promoted on pro-ana websites can include anything from simple starvation to use of laxatives and vomiting to lose weight. Fad diets, binging and purging and fasting are among the other methods discussed on the sites. In addition, members may offer advice on how to obscure their disorders from loved ones and tips for dealing with confrontation regarding their weight loss.
Health Dangers
The health risks of eating disorders are the most serious aspect of the lifestyle. They are often downplayed or ignored by pro-ana groups. Physical consequences of anorexia include heart damage, organ failure and death. According to Psychiatric-Disorders.com, the death rate for anorexics after only ten years with the condition is approximately 10 percent. The purging methods used by bulimics carry additional risks, such as tooth decay, esophageal damage and rupture of the stomach, according to Mirror-Mirror.org. Malnutrition caused by eating disorders can take a serious toll on mental health and cognitive functioning as well. Fatigue, depression, irritability and psychosis can occur as the brain struggles to function without adequate nutrition.
Warning
Anorexia and bulimia are considered by the National Institutes of Mental Health to be mental disorders with the potential for fatal outcomes. If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, seek professional help immediately to avoid serious health consequences.
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