A survey by Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention, Inc. yielded results showing that young girls admit to being more afraid of fat than cancer, nuclear war, or losing a family member. Most people do not fully understand what an eating disorder (ED) truly is. Those with bulimia switch from extreme diets to bingeing, or overeating, constantly. “The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt in Towson, Maryland outlines the following risk factors for eating disorders: genetics, temperament, biology, trauma, coping skill deficits, family life, sociocultural ideas, and dieting”. This demonstrates just exactly how endangered others are to bulimia or anorexia. The word anorexia means “loss of appetite”. The disease itself is something completely different. Anorexia is actually more of self starvation; it is not a sudden loss of appetite. It is a choice to be hungry. Although many say pro-eating disorder media should remain, it is actually quite harmful because eating disorders are horribly misunderstood and everyone is susceptible to developing one.

There are many things about bulimia/anorexia that most do not know; bulimia is an uncontrollable disorder. The sufferers feel a constant need to worry about what they will eat, where, when, and how they are going to purge. “Purging” is supposedly releasing one’s problems in a physical manner, which is usually vomiting. People are typically influenced by a movie, television show, or advertisement that pressures them into thinking they will never be skinny enough. Most victims of bulimia say the disorder is their friend “Mia”. Likewise, anorexia is referred to as “Ana”. Another common misconception of ED is that they only affect females. They are more common in women, but ten million men in the United States currently will fall into an ED at some point in their lives (twenty million women).

Bulimics and anorexics feel a loss of social connection because mealtimes are shameful to them; they miss out on several occasions because our society often involves food during social gatherings. Media platforms also promote bingeing and purging (a brutally repetitive cycle). A person with anorexia will shed at least fifteen percent of his original body weight; he will often focus on his body, obsessing over fat where there is none. Because there are so many unknown facts about anorexia and bulimia, anyone and everyone is vulnerable to developing these sometimes deadly disorders; they may not even know. People from around the world (particularly young adults) suffer from depression; this is typically genetic.

Scientists are studying hard to determine if ED are also genetic. A person with depression often develops an ED because of that person’s low self esteem and distorted body image. One develops anorexia because of his emotional desires and needs. The sufferer does not feel love, belonging, or purpose and believes that he could get those feelings back if he were just skinny enough to meet the impossible standards of the beauty industry. Five to ten percent of sufferers of anorexia will die from it, as it puts stress on the entire body and actually breaks apart muscle in order to have more energy. Fortunately, if people have a high amount of self-esteem, they most likely will not develop an eating disorder. They will also most likely share their feelings regardless of how others will react. Adults with a disorder may have abused or currently abuse drugs and alcohol, or developed the disorder at a young age and never sought treatment. Anyone and everyone from all walks of life has the potential to develop an eating disorder, including males and adults.

“To shut down these sites is to shut down our amendment right: the freedom of speech.” This is the mentality of many pro-anorexia and pro-bulimia advocates. There are many blogs that are “pro-ana” or “pro-mia”. These blogs are intended to aid those who suffer from an eating disorder… By providing a guidebook to continue. People such as twenty-four-year-old Jade, who developed anorexia at the age of nine, find anorexic habits an escape from difficulties such as depression or sexual abuse. Most believe pro-ana blogs believe that ED are not disorders at all. They say that it is a choice-a lifestyle. However, bulimia and anorexia are extremely real and extremely dangerous disorders; a person who thinks it is a lifestyle is a person that is not educated in the matter. Sufferers see it as no different than vegetarianism. Jade says, “I’ve been anorexic for ten years and I know this is the way I want to live.” Some only want to fit in. Being thin is often seen as nothing more than the likeness of listening to a popular song or wearing a certain brand. The runners of pro-ana or pro-mia blogs see the sites as expressing themselves. They feel they cannot get attention any other way, so they do something drastic such as vomiting and brag to others. It might be true that most of those diagnosed with an ED are only vying for another’s attention or to be popular.

Even though these blogs are built as an example of freedom of speech, others should stay far from these sites because most do not know all there is to know about ED, and they just might develop their own. Although idealized today, skinny was not always the sought-after image. Curvier, full-figured bodies represented fertility in women and thus were ideal. This is also true in images of Greek goddesses. The most important step a person can take toward a cure is telling a trusted parent or friend about his recent habits and how he is being affected. In the words of Erica Smith, “Admitting you have an eating disorder is the hardest thing you can do when you have anorexia”. This means that ED are very difficult to handle, especially when you live among others. If someone has a friend with an ED, that person is quite possibly the closest friend he or she has. Pro-mia and pro-ana people have their reasons to believe what they do, but in all reality they need to know that it is not a healthy situation. Stay away from these beating eating disorders.