Pro-Ana Nation


"I have made a decision: I will not stop. The pain is necessary, especially the pain of hunger. It reassures me that I am strong, can withstand anything, that I am not a slave to my body, that I do not have to give in to its whining. I have freed myself from this compulsion of eating."

The website is written by a person who has an eating disorder and who has created a website for those who are struggling with the same disease. Unlike many websites out there that deal with anorexi or bulimia this one is meant not to encourage or discourage people to stay sick. According to the creator of the website, this site is what you call " Pro- Ana" meaning, this site is for people who are anorexics, and is a site meant to "support" fellow anorexics. What's interesting is how the website is notes in the opening page states to "please leave if you are not living with anorexia or bulimia , or if you are trying to recover." It took me some time to catch on, but if this site is not meant to encourage of discourage peole to stay sick, then why would they discourage those who are trying to recover from entering the site? Just a thought.
This detailed website is set up in bulleted format. For those who know little about eating disorders, you can find definitions of anorexia and bulimia. Aside from the definition, the creator also posts her "story" and "reasons" why she thinks anorexia is a symbol of strength and not weakness. This powerful site is extremely powerful and the links on the left hand side enable you to access the subjects that are bulleted and explains it to the reader in depth.
Perhaps the most powerful image in the website is the 2nd page, once you enter the site. It's a picture of a skinny, beautiful blonde. This image reinforces the look tht these women are trying to uphold, which is "Getting skinny will make all your dreams come true. Life will be so much better."

What does all this mean? Well, just like the otherwebsite it's a website based on personal account. This is soeone who has an eating disorder and is giving other a look into her world and how she sees it. There are no sources that are attributed as a source for her facts, but she does suggest reading material that supports her way of thinking. The creator of Pro-Ana believes she IS credible source and even creates a "doctors office" section in her website to pro-long the eating disorder and even suggests foods that you can eat that have low calorie intake. She is the doctor, she is the source, but she is not a credible one by any means.