Pro-Ana Web Communities: An Amplification of Eating Disorders and Media on the Internet

The recent proliferation of pro-ana websites, which promote the maintenance of eating disorders, may be fostered by the psychological traits of eating disorders, media bias toward thin female images and discourse of body dissatisfaction, and the characteristics of online communities. This article examines the roles these factors play in the rise of pro-ana websites themselves and the attitudes that they represent. An active, long-term recognition and critique of the thin ideology promoted by negative media images and taken to the extreme by pro-ana sites may stem the growth of pro-ana attitudes and body dissatisfaction among women in general.