What is your Thinspo?

Media Medium: Blogs and On-line Communities

The internet has become a very powerful tool for communication.  Thus, the internet has become a place for websites, including blogs, that are pro-eating disorders.  These sites present graphic material to motivate, support, and encourage eating disorder activities.  A study on these types of websites was conducted in 2010 and the analysis found some interesting trends among these types of sites:

• 91% of pro-ana and pro-mia sites were open to the public and 79% of those had interactive features.
• 84% of sites found were pro-ana, 64% were pro-mia
• 85% of all sites contained "Thinspiration" and 83% provided clear and overt suggestions on how to engage in eating disorder behaviors
• Common themes on these sites were: control, success, perfection and solidarity

With this growing online community, researchers have hypothesized that teens that are exposed to these sites have higher levels of body dissatisfaction than those not exposed.  In addition, those with eating disorders already have prolonged their disease when in contact with these types of sites. 

So, what is included on these sites? If you were to visit one and search for a pro-ana or pro-mia site, what could you expect to see?  Well there are a few things that most pro-Ed blogs have consistently:

Thinspiration or Thinspo: Thinspo are images or prose intended to inspire anorexic or bulimic activity.  Most thinspo includes photos of well known celebrities and models.  Sometimes, reverse-triggers are posed as well.  These are pictures of obese people or fattening food.  Thinspo is an important motivator on these blogs.  One pro-ana blogger suggests: 

"Carry thinspiration. Whether it's a picture of your favorite skinny celeb, or a picture of yourself in your skinny days, find a place for it in your handbag, inside your cell phone case, ipod case, or any place handy where you'll remember to look often. Anytime you're tempted by food, look at your goal and remind yourself that NOTHING tastes as good as thin feels.Currently, Minnie and Renee's white-hot gowns grace my own wallet to remind me of my own upcoming red carpet appearances, but here's even more thinspiration for ya."    --http://anaregzig.blogspot.com/

Some examples of thinspiration:

Tips and Techniques: This is a section usually included through out the blog that includes dieting tips, ways to hide one's habits, cope with hunger, etc. Often there are lists of low-calorie foods, instructions on how to fast, and what drugs to take.  Some tips are not harmful ("pick juices that have a double-punch... for example, grapefruit juice is said to help speed metabolism, cranberry juice doubles as a diuretic, and cherry/grape/pomegranate juices are high in antioxidants. "), however some "tips" could be life-threatening ("There is no other way to describe the ridiculous HIGH I got from starving for three straight days.").

Other things that were included in many blogs were: calorie calculators, BMI indexes, activity diaries, and food diaries. 

Despite a lot of research and knowledge of these blogs, we are still left with one question: how much are these blogs and websites really affecting their readers and creators?  Since this is a growing practice, only time will tell.  Many search engines have attempted to shut down many overtly pro-ed blogs and websites.  However, I wonder what others think about the effects of these blogs and websites?  Do you think this is further encouraging people to create a relationship with Ed?  Or do you think these sites are staying within Ed's same circle of victims?

Resources:

Borzekowski, D. G., Schenk, S., Wilson, J. L., & Peebles, R. (2010). e-Ana and e-Mia: A content analysis of pro–eating disorder web sites. American Journal of Public Health, 100(8), 1526-1534. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2009.172700

http://anaregzig.blogspot.com/