11/23

Correlational studies have shown that frequent readers of fashion magazines were more likely to diet in order to lose weight because of magazine articles and pictures. While one cannot establish cause and effect from correlational studies, these findings cannot be ignored. The social comparison theory offers an explanation for the body-dissatisfaction caused by media communication of the “ideal” thinness. Individuals are motivated to self-evaluate, usually by comparison to similar others. However, those who compare themselves to individuals who are superior to them tend to strive for improvement and use those superior individuals as models for excellence. If the individual perceives thinness as excellence of perfection, social comparison theory suggests that they will strive to achieve that thinness by devoting extreme amounts of time to exercise and diets. Thus, low self-evaluation about one’s own attractiveness is a likely result.


In an experimental study, 24 female participants in an introductory psychology course, ages 18-20, were randomly assigned to view a pro-anorexia website, a comparison website focused on female fashion, and a neutral comparison website. Participants completed a pre- and post-website questionnaire. The PANAS, the State Self Esteem Scale, and the Self Efficacy Scale were used to assess positive and negative affect, self esteem, and self efficacy, respectively. Perceived weight status and perceived attractiveness to opposite sex were also assessed. A prototypic website was designed by the authors to include the typical information most commonly seen in pro-ana websites.

Results suggested that negative affect increased at the post-website assessment only among women who viewed the pro-anorexia website, while positive affect decreased or remained the same in women who viewed the other websites. Only women who viewed the pro-anorexia website demonstrated decreased self-esteem and appearance self-efficacy. Women who viewed the pro-anorexia website also reported an increase in perceived weigh status (felt more overweight) and a decrease in how attractive they felt.

It is worth mentioning that these effects emerged after a single episode of viewing this website. It is scary to think of the detrimental effects that frequent and prolonged viewing of such websites can have on individuals.

Meta-analyses have proposed that negative effects of thin media messages are stronger for those with elevated body dissatisfaction because thin images activate a thinness schema among those who evaluate themselves in terms of weight/shape. This is in line with prior findings that body image concerns or eating disorders increase susceptibility to media images.

However, since other studies have found that these effects apply to individuals with no preexisting body image or self esteem struggles, it is imperative that we find a way to stop these websites from being available to the public.

11/16

Tierney (2008) effectively compares social capital, the idea that membership in a group and sharing of common values are beneficial, with the prospect of membership in communities such as that of the virtual pro-ana community. For each possible “benefit” that could be argued in favor of these websites, Tierney provides a likely harmful consequence.

Positive: Pro-ana websites provide an outlet for those who feel isolated from society
Negative: promote dysfunctional behaviors that often jeopardize the well-being of individuals

Positive: sense of information-sharing can be empowering
Negative: questions/comments posted could be ignored exacerbating feelings of loneliness and despair; advice may be inaccurate

Positive: individuals are allowed to regard their condition as “normal” without being stigmatized and can focus on emotional aspects in addition to the physiological symptoms normally addressed by clinicians.
Negative: individuals may further isolate themselves from mainstream society and may become unable to acknowledge that their behavior is life-threatening; individuals may not seek necessary outside support because they are so immersed in their community.

Positive: pro-ana websites may be avenues for social support
Negative: drive to be the thinnest can make face-to-face group treatments problematic as individuals feel the need to compete with others.

Positive: emotional support can be given through websites with the physical appearance of other users remaining unknown
Negative: users frequently post photographs of themselves, which are often triggering for their competitors

Positive: a sense of trust may be generated as result of bonds formed through pro-ana websites
Negative: those with anorexia are sometimes suspicious about external offers for help, fearing that others are simply trying to make them fat.

11/9

Jennifer Davis, a clinician at Huntercombe Hospital in Edinburgh, UK, asserts that Pro-Ana websites do not by themselves cause Anorexia. According to Davis, people who are looking at these websites already suffer from Anorexia; if they did not have Anorexia, they would not be looking at the website in the first place. That is her clinical opinion, influenced by statements that her patients gave. This may have been the case for her patients; however, I challenge her claim with a statement from a different individual suffering from Anorexia Nervosa. As I was browsing through one of the pro-Ana websites, I came across a post made by a 17 year old female who happened to list her stats in that post (as do most of girls). According to this female, her highest weight was 180 pounds; at the height of 5’7, this put her at a BMI of 28.2. This female was clearly not anorexic to begin with—she, in fact, overweight and only 1.7 BMI units from being considered obese. Her current weight, after being a member of this community for 7 months, is 110 pounds—with a BMI of 17.2. What if this young woman is not an exception? What if thousands of other eating disorders develop in this way? I am aware that I cannot make this causal inference; this is not a case study, nor an experimental design. However, overlooking the fact that this is a possibility would be, in my opinion, complete ignorance and neglect.

11/5

Frampton (2008) suggests that it is fruitless to make an attempt at preventing the publishing of pro-ed websites; instead, he suggests, we need to focus on equipping therapists with the tools to deal with the effects of these websites on patients. Although I agree that we must begin to analyze the effects of these websites on patients’ cognitions, I think that simply taking a passive stance defeats the purpose of primary prevention; if we dealt with other issues in the same manner, ignoring their roots and simply worrying about treatment post-exposure, we would be living an a very chaotic world. For example, consider today’s rape culture. A rape culture is defined as a society that accepts rape as inevitable and, although acknowledges that rape is “wrong,” believes that it is pointless to take action against it because it is bound to happen anyway. We should be very thankful that we have organizations such as Rape Crisis Centers and other advocacy organizations that promote awareness for these issues and engage in primary prevention through education and activism. Without these organizations, we would be a defeated society. Thus, in the same way, we cannot ignore the core issues of pro-Ana websites. Just like we cannot battle depression by merely treating its symptoms, we cannot battle eating disorders by simply treating the aftereffects of harmful websites.