Disturbing: Pro-Ana

In researching good weight loss tips and blogs, I've come across something I have never heard of before: pro-ana. "Ana" is short for "anorexia", and sometimes the websites are just support groups (or claim they are out of fear for getting shut down) for women suffering from the disease, but more often pro-ana refers to a... thin movement, I suppose you could say? Essentially, the people on these sites, blogs, journals, social networking groups, etc. are promoting anorexia as a lifestyle choice, a positive way for women to control their lives and their bodies, and not an illness.

But one of the things most evident from these sites is that these people are ill. Over and over again I've seen posts on forums of women saying how miserable they are with themselves, and how if they just get to 80 lbs they will be happy. A lot of these people are young women under the age of 18 who are BEING ENCOURAGED by girls their age and older women to keep hiding their habits, to keep trying to reach their goals and then they WILL be happy.

They post pictures and poems and song lyrics they call "thinspiration" or "thinspo" to encourage their weight loss. Mischa Barton, Kate Moss and Calista Flockhart are among some of the most common celebrities pictured as "thinspo." They have a creed called, of course, the "Thin Commandments":

1. If you aren't thin you aren't attractive.
2. Being thin is more important than being healthy.
3. You must buy clothes, cut your hair, take laxatives, starve yourself, do anything to make yourself look thinner.
4. Thou shall not eat without feeling guilty.
5. Thou shall not eat fattening food without punishing oneself afterwards.
6. Thou shall count calories and restrict intake accordingly.
7. What the scale says is the most important thing.
8. Losing weight is good/ gaining weight is bad.
9. You can never be too thin.
10. Being thin and not eating are signs of true will power and success.

#2 I think is particularly interesting - BEING THIN IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN BEING HEALTHY. If anorexia isn't an illness, then how can being thin make you unhealthy? I mean, they constantly contradict themselves. But that doesn't even matter. What does matter is that these women are killing themselves to attain this sick ideal and they have built this "supportive" community to perpetuate this lie about beauty and how to attain it. I mean, the markers of success for them is when they lose their period, their hair starts falling out and skin dries out:

- At a certain weight, which is different for everyone, you will lose your period. This is a good thing because it means that you’re losing weight. Still, it would be wise if you’d take calcium supplements, if you don’t already. Don’t let your mother find out about your lost period because she will most likely take you to the doctor. Never under any circumstances tell a doctor that you’ve lost your period. They will have you in an eating disorder clinic faster than you can say "What the hell?". Before you go to the doctor’s, make sure that you have a date to tell them in case they ask about your last period, and make sure the date is believable.

- As you lose weight, your skin will become dry and sallow and it will heal slowly. Make sure that you use LOTS of lotion where it is needed and take a multivitamin. If you lose enough weight, your body will develop lanugo, which is a very fine downy hair that covers your body. It can easily be removed with a mild depilatory followed by hydrocortisone cream.

- Your hair and nails will suffer do to lack of suffiecient protein. Use volumizing shampoo and lots of conditioner to keep hair full and shiny. If you lose enough, eventually your hair will fall out. Sad, but true. Try to keep from pulling at the roots of your hair. Always put hair in loose ponytails instead of tight ones. Also, keep your nails polished. Low circulation to your fingertips make your nails turn blue and that’s a thing doctors look for.

I mean... I don't even have to point out what is so, so wrong about this. And I am NOT providing links because this stuff is sick, and I refuse to accidentally encourage anyone to seek these websites out. Maybe I am already doing so just by talking about this, but it is truly, truly disturbing the things these women do their bodies and how they can continue abusing themselves and encourage others to do so. What is the point of being thin if you don't have any hair and your skin is dry and flaky? These women are lying to themselves and each other. There is more to beauty than your weight.

There is only one universal truth about beauty, and that is that it is subjective. Anyone can be beautiful at any size.