Silent Starvation Research Paper
SCREEN INDUSTRIES AND TECHNOLOGIES
SEMESTER 2 2000/2001-07-29
Ba(hons) Film Studies Level 1
SILENT STARVATION
Mass starvation the newest teenage trend? BY XDREAMYEYESX RESEARCH PROJECT PROPOSAL
TITLE
Silent Starvation - the newest teenage trend?
AREA
This documentary primarily focuses on the existence of Eating Disorders amongst teenagers worldwide. Although this is not a new development, in recent years the increase in popularity and availability of …show more content…
the Internet has brought about a new 'culture' to which these troubled teenagers are subscribing - this 'culture' is that of the 'pro-anorexia' or 'pro-ana' movement. These clubs and groups are often given pet names, such as Ana or Anna (anorexia) and Billy or Mia (Bulimia), and supporters use e-groups and clubs to post messages of support to like minded friends who support and understand their eating habits.
FOCUS
In response to recent negative media attention about this growing 'society', I aim to produce a non-biased and factual account giving opinions from both sides of the argument. I aim to understand and perhaps validate the reasons why young teenagers feel compelled to visit and belong to these groups. This documentary will include statistics about the typical age and background of the members, and also interviews through which I hope to gain a better understanding of the motivations of these people. I will also investigate claims about these sites' 'recruitment' of new anorexics and potential positive aspects of their existence. I also aim to investigate recent claims by the media that these sites are detrimental to the health of young teenagers and that they are a danger to society and should be regulated or shut down.
RESEARCH PLAN
I aim to investigate:
Existing media articles, which are:
a) Promoting the pro anorexia movement
b) Against the pro anorexia movement
Internet sites which are:
a) Promoting the pro anorexia movement
b) Against the pro-anorexia movement or are recovery based.
I will observe existing pro anorexia groups and gain an understanding of the concerns and motivations of members. I also aim to contact a wide range of members from different backgrounds and with their permission compare statistics of members to try and find common ground and establish a link between members which might explain their desire to belong to this group.
I will also contact the service providers which host these clubs and gain their opinion on the existence of these groups and find out whether they have any intention of perhaps removing or moderating sites and groups better.
I will also contact professional therapists who work with sufferers of eating disorders and gain their perspective on the existence and potential dangers of these sites.
I will also find out opinions of people who have recovered from these disorders, to see how they feel about the existence of these clubs. I will use all of the above to establish my own opinion about these groups, but intend for this documentary, above all else to be based on facts rather than my own personal belief.
SILENT STARVATION A DOCUMENTARY
SYNOPSIS
Originally thought to be the work of American teenagers[1] suffering from the diseases, thousands of teenagers worldwide are now flocking to the pro Anorexia websites and clubs that are now monopolising the Internet, to subscribe to the lifestyle' that these sites promote. Recent media hype has described these clubs as being similar to cults' with webmasters and supporters of the lifestyle' aiming to recruit more young people, regardless of the risk of them succumbing to the deadly diseases which claims the lives of more than 1000 women a year in America alone[2]. However, this hype has not stopped the community growing and thousands of teenagers worldwide now log on regularly to swap tips and compare progress. These teenagers believe these clubs are actually helpful, and claim that they make their lives easier and less lonely. The individuals who actually create the sites claim that instead of risking lives they are actually saving them by being a source of what they describe as helpful and potentially lifesaving advice. They also refuse to take responsibility for the increase in cases of diagnosed eating disorders. They claim that they do not actively recruit but are a symptom of a social problem that has existed long before the Internet was created. This report aims to investigate both sides of the story.
DOCUMENTARY
I personally learned about the pro anorexia movement back in February 2001, when I read a magazine article reporting about the subject[3]. Initially I was shocked, and could not believe that something as serious as Anorexia could be glamorised and depicted as a positive way of life. I wanted to put the idea out of my mind, however curiosity prevailed and I decided to see for myself what the sites were all about. What I discovered was a community of Internet sites that were all incredibly similar to each other even to the extent that some of the pictures had obviously been copied from one site to be used on others. However, as I later discovered, this does not matter in the world of pro anorexia. In a community where all of the suffers have extremely low self esteem and self worth, and where most are unhappy in their everyday surroundings, the websites they produce appear to act as a visual depiction of themselves. By creating a website they have an place where they can put themselves out there to be seen completely for who and what they are, but without the risk of criticism and pain. A place where other like-minded people can visit and feel safe in the knowledge that they are not alone. In essence it seems like a good idea after all, at the time that most of these sites were created there was no media hype alerting people to their existence. To find one of these sites an individual would have had to type the words pro' and anorexia' into a search engine, and as most webmasters concluded, for someone to do that, they must already have a personal interest in eating disorders themselves, or suffer from one. In theory it makes sense. However in practice it seems to be another story.
The problem seems to be the fact that these sites, as well as being a place where anorexics can post triggering images and quotes, also serve as a place for tips and suggestions as well. These range from the relatively common sense to the completely absurd and potentially dangerous. Examples include:
Drink a glass of ice cold water every hour it will make you feel full.
Between each mouthful of food that you eat, take a sip of water, it fills you up and slows down your eating so that you stay in control.
Can't throw up? Tie a polo mint to a string of dental floss & swallow it and pull the string and it will cause a gag reaction.[4]
Image 1) the website where these sites were found. [5]
Obviously it is the later of these suggestions that has specifically raised the concern of doctors and counsellors alike. To anyone in his or her right mind a suggestion like this seems dangerous and absurd. But to these people who are so desperate to lose weight it seems like a tip that might' work, and for them, the desperation by far outweighs any rational thoughts of potential dangers such as damage to the throat and the risk of choking.
However, not all advice given by these clubs are detrimental to the health of readers. As Michelle Gothelf states in her article The new Anorexia Outrage' (Self magazine, 2001)
Whether intentionally or inadvertently, many of the sites help budding anorexics and bulimics improve their methods. Even though the site Fat like Me' cautions that binging and purging is dangerous', it also says that if you're going to do it, "Rinse with baking soda dissolved in water after purging. This helps neutralise acids and spares your teeth somewhat."
However, the Internet is not the only place where Anorexics bond together and share tips and techniques, as this has been happening long before the invention and mass availability of the Internet, as Ronald Liebman, MD explains in an article by Theresa
Defino (2000).
"What we have found is that in the hospital adolescents learn bigger and better ways of being anorexic from other patients.
Their self-esteem and self-confidence are obliterated. They are alienated from their school and peer group and the community. There is a tremendous burden on the parents. The parents are made to feel ineffective and impotent."
The biggest taboo it seems in the pro anorexia world is the use Ipecac syrup. This syrup is used primarily to induce vomiting in people who have ingested a toxic substance. However, obviously it has huge appeal for bulimics and potential bulimics. Ironically enough, this syrup first came to the attention of some bulimics through the media itself, the first place where these clubs were criticised. I spoke to at least 8 people who learned about the use of this syrup through the film The Karen Carpenter Story', which is a biographical film about the singer who died from heart failure caused directly by her anorexia. The most horrifying fact of this is that although Karen Carpenter did abuse this syrup, the film admits that she only used it several times. However, this was still enough to contribute to the weakening of her heart, which subsequently caused her death. …show more content…
[6]
However, in the two months that I was observing these pro anorexia clubs I saw at least 6 messages posted which asked about using this syrup. In each instance the other members replied with a resounding NO. The following is a direct quote from a post:
Hey. I was an ipecac syrup user before.
Just as a warning, it can kill you the first time you use it. If not, it absorbs into your heart muscle causing heart problems. Ipecac is a poison.
I hope you do not get into this, but it is all your choice.
Good luck,
dying2bthin[7]
These are sentiments echoed by Silent Chaos, of www.house-of-sins.com who is perhaps the most well known web-mistress of these sites, with her site having received 11,000 visitors since its creation[8]. She dedicates a page of her website to the use of this drug, and states:
"I will not promote the use of ipecac, it's awful in more ways than one. You can die; you can have heart attacks - without notice. I can preach to you all the dangers, but then again, why. You won't listen till you're ready. Again, let me stress. Ipecac is not something to use. It is dangerous. Wait. I have used it myself. Do you want me to tell you what happened? Well I felt like I was going to die, my heart felt like it was going to fall out of my chest, it speed at the pace of a nascar, my face was stuck over a toilet.
You do not deserve to die"
Many counsellors and professionals have been quoted expressing concern about these websites and reporters have taken an extremely negative view of them in their articles. However, interestingly, of the 50 articles that I found whilst researching this documentary, one has taken completely the opposite view. Georgie Binks, from Salon.com, in her article The Joys of Anorexia' describes what it is like to be plagued by anorexia from a young age. The most concerning of this article perhaps is the fact that she takes such a light and carefree tone in describing the disease. After all, this is a disease that kills an estimated 1000 American women annually[9].
"At the beginning I simply didn't feel like eating. So for the first couple of days I just downed a coke for breakfast and smoked a cigarette, the same for lunch and about half a portion for dinner. After about 3 days I dubbed it the coke and cigarettes' diet. In addition to that I started what I thought was
Bulimia, but apparently it's known as normal weight vomiting'. The only problem with this is that it eventually turned into something my body was
doing whether I liked it or not By now I was calling my little throwing up habit the taste it twice diet'. My friends did not think it was funny." Binks, G.
Salon.com
Even more worrying is the fact that she even seems to be encouraging this behaviour by admitting that she plans to continue with her behaviour.
"But I'll starve myself again, for that sense of power over my body. It's almost an erotic feeling. Feeling better about your body is extremely sensuous." Binks, G.
This is, after all a journalist, who holds a respectable job and thus holds a position of authority and power over the young people who read her articles.
She is, perhaps, some one who they aspire to become. It is no wonder that this article caused extreme uproar amongst regular readers:
" Better yet, the next time Salon decides to run an article advocating a dangerous, and frankly, stupid lifestyle, could the editors add an explanation as to why they chose to run the piece?" Readers' responses, Salon.com [In bibliography under Binks, Georgie]
However, teenagers are still flocking to these sites in their hundreds, with Yahoo club memberships increasing by 300% in June
2001 and rising steadily in the following months[10]. Ironically, in their quest to warn the public about these sites, magazines and newspapers are actually recruiting and informing young teenagers of their existence, who perhaps had never had even an inkling of an eating disorder before. For the young and naive, these clubs appear to be the newest trend, and they feel obliged to visit and find out more about them, plagued by the fear of missing out on the next big thing'. This was shown by one of the later posts in Yahoo clubs, where a member had asked if everyone in the club had an eating disorder, and requested personal information such as age and how long the disorder had been going on. One fourteen year old replied: "I haven't got an eating disorder. I just want to be a good ana."
Horrifyingly enough this girl did not realise the association with the pet name given to the condition and eating disorders. She viewed the club purely and simply as a dieting competition. However, by reading the post she was picking up dangerous tips and the idea of anorexia and disordered eating was being sowed into her mind.
The question has to be raised. Cases of eating disorders have been rising at a steady rate in recent years with recent studies indicating that 85% of anorexics experience the first onset of the illness by age 20 and they're only getting younger. Researchers have noted a marked increase in cases in the eight to 11 year old ranges over the past five years.[11] Kids in that age range
(perhaps not coincidentally) are also spending more and more time in front of computers, educators note, a trend that leaves them especially susceptible to the proliferation of pro-anorexia sites. Also in another survey, it was found that 80 percent of teenage girls said that they feel overweight and are dieting, and some experts believe that as many as 10 percent of adolescent females are bulimic[12]. Many experts who deal with sufferers on a daily basis have begun to question how much the media is influencing this.
Teenagers, both male and female are bombarded on a daily basis with images of extremely thin models and the ideological message that thin is beautiful'. Recently a large amount of media interest has been aimed at the decreasing sizes of media icons such as Geri Halliwell and Calista Flockhart. These models are seen as beautiful and these images are seen by some as what women should aspire to look like. However, with the average American model being five foot ten inches and weighing 107lbs, and the average American woman being five foot four and weighing one hundred and forty one pounds[13] perhaps this concern is warranted. However, the largely debated question still remains should these sites be closed down completely? As with everything, there are pro's and con's. Yes, these sites do contain potentially dangerous and harmful advice. But they also do help suffers of this deadly disease from causing more harm by reducing ignorance. As Silent Chaos states: "Although this site may well perpetuate anorexia in those already suffering with the disease, it has saved many more lives than it may or may not have harmed. I know other sufferers who have committed suicide because they've been so lonely in the hell of their disease. Loneliness kills more of us than the eating disorder itself, but websites like mine help prevent that level of desperate isolation. I know that to anyone who isn't anorexic these groups seem like the world's most evil event, but society stopped listening to the anorexic community a long time ago, and left us with no help except that we could offer each other. What do you think happens when people, sick with a disease that affects their minds and messes up their heads, are left alone to help each other? Is it really so surprising if they come up with solutions that strike the rest of the world as mad and bad?"[14]
In a recent survey by Time.com, which ran an article in March alerting the public to the existence of these clubs, 51.7% of voters decided that these sites should be allowed. However, in a recent survey which I conducted on the same internet site's message board, of the twenty people who I asked, 5 of which supported the pro anorexia movement, 80% said that they should be policed or moderated by a counsellor or similar person to ensure that tips and suggestions are safe and accurate. Although these statistics are not in the same league, it does give a clear idea of the general consensus.
Should pro-anorexia web sites be allowed?
Total Votes Cast: 18841[15]
However, some organisations are willing to take the matter into their own hands. Since November 2000 The National Eating
Disorders Association has been battling with leading Internet providers such as Yahoo in an attempt to have the pro eating disorder clubs and websites removed. However, the same response was received that they are not responsible for the content of the servers; as they are protected by freedom of speech'. However, on the fifth of April 2001, Yahoo became the first to relent.
Spokeswoman for the service provider, Dianna Lee said in a statement on their website[16] that "she could not confirm when or if the company will remove the sites, however, user complaints are reviewed within 24 hours and in extreme' cases sites that violate
Yahoo's service agreement prohibiting harmful, threatening and abusive messages' are removed. She also stated:
"We strive to promote a forum that promotes a wide range of free expression on the Internet. The Internet is a widely growing medium and we as well as our users are struggling with its content."
However, it seems that Yahoo took the complaint seriously. By Monday July 30th, 21 of Yahoo's estimated 115 sites had been taken down. However, Yahoo denies that this is in response to NEDA's letter. A company spokesperson explained on the 31st July that
Yahoo has long-standing terms of service, and she outlined the consequences for anyone who violates them. "Content with the sole purpose of creating harm or inciting hate is brought to our attention, we evaluate it and in extreme cases, remove it as that is a violation of our Terms of service."
However, although in the light of the recent media interest in these sites this is a good start in Yahoo's quest for making their service safer, as they are making the sites a lot more difficult to find. However, they are still accessible by links from existing sites. In essence it is only a start the tip of the iceberg. Even though I only ever emailed users of the Yahoo clubs requesting information and never posted in any of the clubs, within days I was contacted by an email from a member of one of the former clubs inviting me to join five new yahoo clubs that had been hidden' under other categories within the Yahoo clubs system. Other users have given up with Yahoo, and have simply moved onto other service providers such as MSN, Lycos and AOL, even though these providers have explicitly stated that they will not tolerate material of this sort and will delete them without warning once they are found. The problem is that the teenagers and adults prone to anorexia who are usually between the ages of 13 25 grew up with computers, and for them to jump in a put up a website, there's nothing to it. Its as easy to put up a website as it is to find online clubs and bulletin boards. Scores of virtual communities offer free homepages to anyone who sets up an email account. And it is because of this that the services simply cannot keep up with the increase in new sites. They simply cannot delete them fast enough.
This concerns Steven Levenkron, the author of Anatomy of Anorexia (2001) who states:
"Anorexics have always defiantly banded together when given the opportunity; but never on such a grand scale. It's a lot of denial and a lot of compensation: If you're stuck with something that makes you different and not so healthy, you're going to develop a whole repertoire and collection of statements to make yourself feel better, recruit more people, and take you out of your own depression." (Levenkron: 2001)
This is a view shared by Bob Berkowitz, from the Weight and Eating disorders Program, at the University of Pennsylvania in
Philadelphia:
"These sites don't make sense in terms of getting well. Instead of a support group to get better, this is kind of a support system to stay sick. It's like recovering alcoholics going to a bar together. The internet's anonymity offers them a perfect venue for remaining physically isolated while forming virtual friendships with people who encourage their fights with their own bodies."
However, the case of removing these sites from the Internet away from impressionable eyes is far from closed. Anorexics are notoriously secretive and with Private hosting becoming more and more affordable, many internet sites are choosing to avoid the hassle of using free providers and risking their sites being closed without notice, and are purchasing domains of their own, which also make their Internet addresses more easy to remember thus easier to find. This is a newer problem faced by objectors and would make removing the sites virtually impossible.
And although objectors such as those shown below are still actively seeking the closure of these sites, it seems the damage has already been done with all the media coverage that has targeted these sites. As Diet Pepsi Uh huh' the web mistress of Anorexic
Nation states:
The Media are bashing us, they think were crazy by finding support in one place, the one place that has become our home, this website. We felt safe here, no one could hurt us, we've come to love this place. Yet the media turned this site inside out, turning it into a FREAK SHOW, exposing only what they want YOU to see, definitely NOT putting our feelings into consideration.
The media did enough damage, now please lets carry on with our lives. Stop these hateful messages, they don't do any good.
Nothing, and I mean NOTHING can stop ANOREXIA/BULIMIA unless the person wants HELP, which I do not. I love my lifestyle and WILL continue living this way.
And perhaps in a way she is right. No one can make these sites disappear and no one can stop an anorexic starving him or herself unless they actually want help. At the end of the day, the sites are only a symptom of a larger problem, and the Media can demonise them all they want but they will not make them disappear. As long as the media portrayal of thin being beautiful is maintained, so, experts fear will these Internet sites.
[1] Bloomfield, Steve, Eating Disorders Association
[2] Martin, Claire, The Denver Post
[3] Cosmopolitan UK magazine, February 2001 edition
[4] Found on Anorexic Nation
[5] Image kindly reproduced with the permission of Diet Pepsi Uh huh'
[6] Information courtesy of S.C.a.R.E.D.
[7] From Anorexic Nation, Secret Society
[8] www.house-of-sins.com
[9] Statistics from Claire Martin, Denver Post
[10] Statistics from http://clubs.yahoo.com/proanorexia
[11] Pinhas, Jean, Eating Disorder Professionals of Colorado,
[12] Brown, James, 2000
[13] CAPEDS, 2001
[14] Email interview which I conducted with Silent Chaos (See appendix)
[15] Courtesy of http://www.time.com/
[16] www.yahoo.com
SEMESTER 2 2000/2001-07-29
Ba(hons) Film Studies Level 1
SILENT STARVATION
Mass starvation the newest teenage trend? BY XDREAMYEYESX RESEARCH PROJECT PROPOSAL
TITLE
Silent Starvation - the newest teenage trend?
AREA
This documentary primarily focuses on the existence of Eating Disorders amongst teenagers worldwide. Although this is not a new development, in recent years the increase in popularity and availability of …show more content…
the Internet has brought about a new 'culture' to which these troubled teenagers are subscribing - this 'culture' is that of the 'pro-anorexia' or 'pro-ana' movement. These clubs and groups are often given pet names, such as Ana or Anna (anorexia) and Billy or Mia (Bulimia), and supporters use e-groups and clubs to post messages of support to like minded friends who support and understand their eating habits.
FOCUS
In response to recent negative media attention about this growing 'society', I aim to produce a non-biased and factual account giving opinions from both sides of the argument. I aim to understand and perhaps validate the reasons why young teenagers feel compelled to visit and belong to these groups. This documentary will include statistics about the typical age and background of the members, and also interviews through which I hope to gain a better understanding of the motivations of these people. I will also investigate claims about these sites' 'recruitment' of new anorexics and potential positive aspects of their existence. I also aim to investigate recent claims by the media that these sites are detrimental to the health of young teenagers and that they are a danger to society and should be regulated or shut down.
RESEARCH PLAN
I aim to investigate:
Existing media articles, which are:
a) Promoting the pro anorexia movement
b) Against the pro anorexia movement
Internet sites which are:
a) Promoting the pro anorexia movement
b) Against the pro-anorexia movement or are recovery based.
I will observe existing pro anorexia groups and gain an understanding of the concerns and motivations of members. I also aim to contact a wide range of members from different backgrounds and with their permission compare statistics of members to try and find common ground and establish a link between members which might explain their desire to belong to this group.
I will also contact the service providers which host these clubs and gain their opinion on the existence of these groups and find out whether they have any intention of perhaps removing or moderating sites and groups better.
I will also contact professional therapists who work with sufferers of eating disorders and gain their perspective on the existence and potential dangers of these sites.
I will also find out opinions of people who have recovered from these disorders, to see how they feel about the existence of these clubs. I will use all of the above to establish my own opinion about these groups, but intend for this documentary, above all else to be based on facts rather than my own personal belief.
SILENT STARVATION A DOCUMENTARY
SYNOPSIS
Originally thought to be the work of American teenagers[1] suffering from the diseases, thousands of teenagers worldwide are now flocking to the pro Anorexia websites and clubs that are now monopolising the Internet, to subscribe to the lifestyle' that these sites promote. Recent media hype has described these clubs as being similar to cults' with webmasters and supporters of the lifestyle' aiming to recruit more young people, regardless of the risk of them succumbing to the deadly diseases which claims the lives of more than 1000 women a year in America alone[2]. However, this hype has not stopped the community growing and thousands of teenagers worldwide now log on regularly to swap tips and compare progress. These teenagers believe these clubs are actually helpful, and claim that they make their lives easier and less lonely. The individuals who actually create the sites claim that instead of risking lives they are actually saving them by being a source of what they describe as helpful and potentially lifesaving advice. They also refuse to take responsibility for the increase in cases of diagnosed eating disorders. They claim that they do not actively recruit but are a symptom of a social problem that has existed long before the Internet was created. This report aims to investigate both sides of the story.
DOCUMENTARY
I personally learned about the pro anorexia movement back in February 2001, when I read a magazine article reporting about the subject[3]. Initially I was shocked, and could not believe that something as serious as Anorexia could be glamorised and depicted as a positive way of life. I wanted to put the idea out of my mind, however curiosity prevailed and I decided to see for myself what the sites were all about. What I discovered was a community of Internet sites that were all incredibly similar to each other even to the extent that some of the pictures had obviously been copied from one site to be used on others. However, as I later discovered, this does not matter in the world of pro anorexia. In a community where all of the suffers have extremely low self esteem and self worth, and where most are unhappy in their everyday surroundings, the websites they produce appear to act as a visual depiction of themselves. By creating a website they have an place where they can put themselves out there to be seen completely for who and what they are, but without the risk of criticism and pain. A place where other like-minded people can visit and feel safe in the knowledge that they are not alone. In essence it seems like a good idea after all, at the time that most of these sites were created there was no media hype alerting people to their existence. To find one of these sites an individual would have had to type the words pro' and anorexia' into a search engine, and as most webmasters concluded, for someone to do that, they must already have a personal interest in eating disorders themselves, or suffer from one. In theory it makes sense. However in practice it seems to be another story.
The problem seems to be the fact that these sites, as well as being a place where anorexics can post triggering images and quotes, also serve as a place for tips and suggestions as well. These range from the relatively common sense to the completely absurd and potentially dangerous. Examples include:
Drink a glass of ice cold water every hour it will make you feel full.
Between each mouthful of food that you eat, take a sip of water, it fills you up and slows down your eating so that you stay in control.
Can't throw up? Tie a polo mint to a string of dental floss & swallow it and pull the string and it will cause a gag reaction.[4]
Image 1) the website where these sites were found. [5]
Obviously it is the later of these suggestions that has specifically raised the concern of doctors and counsellors alike. To anyone in his or her right mind a suggestion like this seems dangerous and absurd. But to these people who are so desperate to lose weight it seems like a tip that might' work, and for them, the desperation by far outweighs any rational thoughts of potential dangers such as damage to the throat and the risk of choking.
However, not all advice given by these clubs are detrimental to the health of readers. As Michelle Gothelf states in her article The new Anorexia Outrage' (Self magazine, 2001)
Whether intentionally or inadvertently, many of the sites help budding anorexics and bulimics improve their methods. Even though the site Fat like Me' cautions that binging and purging is dangerous', it also says that if you're going to do it, "Rinse with baking soda dissolved in water after purging. This helps neutralise acids and spares your teeth somewhat."
However, the Internet is not the only place where Anorexics bond together and share tips and techniques, as this has been happening long before the invention and mass availability of the Internet, as Ronald Liebman, MD explains in an article by Theresa
Defino (2000).
"What we have found is that in the hospital adolescents learn bigger and better ways of being anorexic from other patients.
Their self-esteem and self-confidence are obliterated. They are alienated from their school and peer group and the community. There is a tremendous burden on the parents. The parents are made to feel ineffective and impotent."
The biggest taboo it seems in the pro anorexia world is the use Ipecac syrup. This syrup is used primarily to induce vomiting in people who have ingested a toxic substance. However, obviously it has huge appeal for bulimics and potential bulimics. Ironically enough, this syrup first came to the attention of some bulimics through the media itself, the first place where these clubs were criticised. I spoke to at least 8 people who learned about the use of this syrup through the film The Karen Carpenter Story', which is a biographical film about the singer who died from heart failure caused directly by her anorexia. The most horrifying fact of this is that although Karen Carpenter did abuse this syrup, the film admits that she only used it several times. However, this was still enough to contribute to the weakening of her heart, which subsequently caused her death. …show more content…
[6]
However, in the two months that I was observing these pro anorexia clubs I saw at least 6 messages posted which asked about using this syrup. In each instance the other members replied with a resounding NO. The following is a direct quote from a post:
Hey. I was an ipecac syrup user before.
Just as a warning, it can kill you the first time you use it. If not, it absorbs into your heart muscle causing heart problems. Ipecac is a poison.
I hope you do not get into this, but it is all your choice.
Good luck,
dying2bthin[7]
These are sentiments echoed by Silent Chaos, of www.house-of-sins.com who is perhaps the most well known web-mistress of these sites, with her site having received 11,000 visitors since its creation[8]. She dedicates a page of her website to the use of this drug, and states:
"I will not promote the use of ipecac, it's awful in more ways than one. You can die; you can have heart attacks - without notice. I can preach to you all the dangers, but then again, why. You won't listen till you're ready. Again, let me stress. Ipecac is not something to use. It is dangerous. Wait. I have used it myself. Do you want me to tell you what happened? Well I felt like I was going to die, my heart felt like it was going to fall out of my chest, it speed at the pace of a nascar, my face was stuck over a toilet.
You do not deserve to die"
Many counsellors and professionals have been quoted expressing concern about these websites and reporters have taken an extremely negative view of them in their articles. However, interestingly, of the 50 articles that I found whilst researching this documentary, one has taken completely the opposite view. Georgie Binks, from Salon.com, in her article The Joys of Anorexia' describes what it is like to be plagued by anorexia from a young age. The most concerning of this article perhaps is the fact that she takes such a light and carefree tone in describing the disease. After all, this is a disease that kills an estimated 1000 American women annually[9].
"At the beginning I simply didn't feel like eating. So for the first couple of days I just downed a coke for breakfast and smoked a cigarette, the same for lunch and about half a portion for dinner. After about 3 days I dubbed it the coke and cigarettes' diet. In addition to that I started what I thought was
Bulimia, but apparently it's known as normal weight vomiting'. The only problem with this is that it eventually turned into something my body was
doing whether I liked it or not By now I was calling my little throwing up habit the taste it twice diet'. My friends did not think it was funny." Binks, G.
Salon.com
Even more worrying is the fact that she even seems to be encouraging this behaviour by admitting that she plans to continue with her behaviour.
"But I'll starve myself again, for that sense of power over my body. It's almost an erotic feeling. Feeling better about your body is extremely sensuous." Binks, G.
This is, after all a journalist, who holds a respectable job and thus holds a position of authority and power over the young people who read her articles.
She is, perhaps, some one who they aspire to become. It is no wonder that this article caused extreme uproar amongst regular readers:
" Better yet, the next time Salon decides to run an article advocating a dangerous, and frankly, stupid lifestyle, could the editors add an explanation as to why they chose to run the piece?" Readers' responses, Salon.com [In bibliography under Binks, Georgie]
However, teenagers are still flocking to these sites in their hundreds, with Yahoo club memberships increasing by 300% in June
2001 and rising steadily in the following months[10]. Ironically, in their quest to warn the public about these sites, magazines and newspapers are actually recruiting and informing young teenagers of their existence, who perhaps had never had even an inkling of an eating disorder before. For the young and naive, these clubs appear to be the newest trend, and they feel obliged to visit and find out more about them, plagued by the fear of missing out on the next big thing'. This was shown by one of the later posts in Yahoo clubs, where a member had asked if everyone in the club had an eating disorder, and requested personal information such as age and how long the disorder had been going on. One fourteen year old replied: "I haven't got an eating disorder. I just want to be a good ana."
Horrifyingly enough this girl did not realise the association with the pet name given to the condition and eating disorders. She viewed the club purely and simply as a dieting competition. However, by reading the post she was picking up dangerous tips and the idea of anorexia and disordered eating was being sowed into her mind.
The question has to be raised. Cases of eating disorders have been rising at a steady rate in recent years with recent studies indicating that 85% of anorexics experience the first onset of the illness by age 20 and they're only getting younger. Researchers have noted a marked increase in cases in the eight to 11 year old ranges over the past five years.[11] Kids in that age range
(perhaps not coincidentally) are also spending more and more time in front of computers, educators note, a trend that leaves them especially susceptible to the proliferation of pro-anorexia sites. Also in another survey, it was found that 80 percent of teenage girls said that they feel overweight and are dieting, and some experts believe that as many as 10 percent of adolescent females are bulimic[12]. Many experts who deal with sufferers on a daily basis have begun to question how much the media is influencing this.
Teenagers, both male and female are bombarded on a daily basis with images of extremely thin models and the ideological message that thin is beautiful'. Recently a large amount of media interest has been aimed at the decreasing sizes of media icons such as Geri Halliwell and Calista Flockhart. These models are seen as beautiful and these images are seen by some as what women should aspire to look like. However, with the average American model being five foot ten inches and weighing 107lbs, and the average American woman being five foot four and weighing one hundred and forty one pounds[13] perhaps this concern is warranted. However, the largely debated question still remains should these sites be closed down completely? As with everything, there are pro's and con's. Yes, these sites do contain potentially dangerous and harmful advice. But they also do help suffers of this deadly disease from causing more harm by reducing ignorance. As Silent Chaos states: "Although this site may well perpetuate anorexia in those already suffering with the disease, it has saved many more lives than it may or may not have harmed. I know other sufferers who have committed suicide because they've been so lonely in the hell of their disease. Loneliness kills more of us than the eating disorder itself, but websites like mine help prevent that level of desperate isolation. I know that to anyone who isn't anorexic these groups seem like the world's most evil event, but society stopped listening to the anorexic community a long time ago, and left us with no help except that we could offer each other. What do you think happens when people, sick with a disease that affects their minds and messes up their heads, are left alone to help each other? Is it really so surprising if they come up with solutions that strike the rest of the world as mad and bad?"[14]
In a recent survey by Time.com, which ran an article in March alerting the public to the existence of these clubs, 51.7% of voters decided that these sites should be allowed. However, in a recent survey which I conducted on the same internet site's message board, of the twenty people who I asked, 5 of which supported the pro anorexia movement, 80% said that they should be policed or moderated by a counsellor or similar person to ensure that tips and suggestions are safe and accurate. Although these statistics are not in the same league, it does give a clear idea of the general consensus.
Should pro-anorexia web sites be allowed?
Total Votes Cast: 18841[15]
However, some organisations are willing to take the matter into their own hands. Since November 2000 The National Eating
Disorders Association has been battling with leading Internet providers such as Yahoo in an attempt to have the pro eating disorder clubs and websites removed. However, the same response was received that they are not responsible for the content of the servers; as they are protected by freedom of speech'. However, on the fifth of April 2001, Yahoo became the first to relent.
Spokeswoman for the service provider, Dianna Lee said in a statement on their website[16] that "she could not confirm when or if the company will remove the sites, however, user complaints are reviewed within 24 hours and in extreme' cases sites that violate
Yahoo's service agreement prohibiting harmful, threatening and abusive messages' are removed. She also stated:
"We strive to promote a forum that promotes a wide range of free expression on the Internet. The Internet is a widely growing medium and we as well as our users are struggling with its content."
However, it seems that Yahoo took the complaint seriously. By Monday July 30th, 21 of Yahoo's estimated 115 sites had been taken down. However, Yahoo denies that this is in response to NEDA's letter. A company spokesperson explained on the 31st July that
Yahoo has long-standing terms of service, and she outlined the consequences for anyone who violates them. "Content with the sole purpose of creating harm or inciting hate is brought to our attention, we evaluate it and in extreme cases, remove it as that is a violation of our Terms of service."
However, although in the light of the recent media interest in these sites this is a good start in Yahoo's quest for making their service safer, as they are making the sites a lot more difficult to find. However, they are still accessible by links from existing sites. In essence it is only a start the tip of the iceberg. Even though I only ever emailed users of the Yahoo clubs requesting information and never posted in any of the clubs, within days I was contacted by an email from a member of one of the former clubs inviting me to join five new yahoo clubs that had been hidden' under other categories within the Yahoo clubs system. Other users have given up with Yahoo, and have simply moved onto other service providers such as MSN, Lycos and AOL, even though these providers have explicitly stated that they will not tolerate material of this sort and will delete them without warning once they are found. The problem is that the teenagers and adults prone to anorexia who are usually between the ages of 13 25 grew up with computers, and for them to jump in a put up a website, there's nothing to it. Its as easy to put up a website as it is to find online clubs and bulletin boards. Scores of virtual communities offer free homepages to anyone who sets up an email account. And it is because of this that the services simply cannot keep up with the increase in new sites. They simply cannot delete them fast enough.
This concerns Steven Levenkron, the author of Anatomy of Anorexia (2001) who states:
"Anorexics have always defiantly banded together when given the opportunity; but never on such a grand scale. It's a lot of denial and a lot of compensation: If you're stuck with something that makes you different and not so healthy, you're going to develop a whole repertoire and collection of statements to make yourself feel better, recruit more people, and take you out of your own depression." (Levenkron: 2001)
This is a view shared by Bob Berkowitz, from the Weight and Eating disorders Program, at the University of Pennsylvania in
Philadelphia:
"These sites don't make sense in terms of getting well. Instead of a support group to get better, this is kind of a support system to stay sick. It's like recovering alcoholics going to a bar together. The internet's anonymity offers them a perfect venue for remaining physically isolated while forming virtual friendships with people who encourage their fights with their own bodies."
However, the case of removing these sites from the Internet away from impressionable eyes is far from closed. Anorexics are notoriously secretive and with Private hosting becoming more and more affordable, many internet sites are choosing to avoid the hassle of using free providers and risking their sites being closed without notice, and are purchasing domains of their own, which also make their Internet addresses more easy to remember thus easier to find. This is a newer problem faced by objectors and would make removing the sites virtually impossible.
And although objectors such as those shown below are still actively seeking the closure of these sites, it seems the damage has already been done with all the media coverage that has targeted these sites. As Diet Pepsi Uh huh' the web mistress of Anorexic
Nation states:
The Media are bashing us, they think were crazy by finding support in one place, the one place that has become our home, this website. We felt safe here, no one could hurt us, we've come to love this place. Yet the media turned this site inside out, turning it into a FREAK SHOW, exposing only what they want YOU to see, definitely NOT putting our feelings into consideration.
The media did enough damage, now please lets carry on with our lives. Stop these hateful messages, they don't do any good.
Nothing, and I mean NOTHING can stop ANOREXIA/BULIMIA unless the person wants HELP, which I do not. I love my lifestyle and WILL continue living this way.
And perhaps in a way she is right. No one can make these sites disappear and no one can stop an anorexic starving him or herself unless they actually want help. At the end of the day, the sites are only a symptom of a larger problem, and the Media can demonise them all they want but they will not make them disappear. As long as the media portrayal of thin being beautiful is maintained, so, experts fear will these Internet sites.
[1] Bloomfield, Steve, Eating Disorders Association
[2] Martin, Claire, The Denver Post
[3] Cosmopolitan UK magazine, February 2001 edition
[4] Found on Anorexic Nation
[5] Image kindly reproduced with the permission of Diet Pepsi Uh huh'
[6] Information courtesy of S.C.a.R.E.D.
[7] From Anorexic Nation, Secret Society
[8] www.house-of-sins.com
[9] Statistics from Claire Martin, Denver Post
[10] Statistics from http://clubs.yahoo.com/proanorexia
[11] Pinhas, Jean, Eating Disorder Professionals of Colorado,
[12] Brown, James, 2000
[13] CAPEDS, 2001
[14] Email interview which I conducted with Silent Chaos (See appendix)
[15] Courtesy of http://www.time.com/
[16] www.yahoo.com