Anorexia Nervosa and Pro-anorexia Nervosa Websites - Essay Example

Anorexia Nervosa and Pro-anorexia Nervosa Websites Introduction Anorexia nervosa (hereinafter referred to as anorexia) has become as alarming a health problem as obesity. Thousands of teenagers have been diagnosed with this disorder and the numbers continue to rise with each passing year. It certainly does not help that society has created and has espoused the image of the rake-thin supermodel as the ideal image or figure that every girl should aim for. All of a sudden, being thin is not just associated with being healthy but it now even defines beauty. Anorexia is considered by mental health professionals as an eating disorder, however, some also consider it an alternative way of staying thin and healthy. They oppose the fact that anorexia is an eating disorder or a mental health disorder for that matter. They advocate the extreme measures used by anorexics as a viable way of staying thin, even if they may not be viable ways of staying healthy. To many anorexics, their motto is: “nothing feels as good as skinny feels.” And this has become the mantra of pro-anorexia websites and ‘pro-ana’ groups. These websites and groups not only encourage anorexic behaviour. And these groups also act as support groups for those who choose anorexia as a way of being healthy. They encourage anorexics to stay thin by continuing to adapt extreme purging and dieting techniques. These websites have been criticized by other health professionals and many concerned parents because of the delicate and dangerous message they put across to teenagers everywhere. This paper shall assess several websites discussing anorexia, including some pro-anorexic websites. It shall critique the verifiability of the information they post, including the authority of the Web site. It shall compare and contrast the positions presented by these websites, providing an executive summary of each site. Through this paper, a critical reading and systematic evaluation of the issue can hopefully be achieved by this student. Discussion The website of the National Health Services clearly defines anorexia nervosa as an “eating disorder and a mental health condition” (2008). They also describe anorexics based on their thought processes about eating – that these anorexics think they are fat or overweight no matter how heavy or light they may actually weigh; they also have an intense fear of getting fat and therefore they want to be and to stay as thin as they possibly can (NHS, 2008). And in order to control their weight they eat as little as possible, they make themselves vomit (purging) and they engage in too much exercise. Some of them leave the table immediately after finishing their meals and they often have hard skin on their knuckles because of their habit of putting their fingers down their throat in order to induce vomiting (NHS, 2008). Taking laxatives and diuretics in order to empty their bowels is also another practice of anorexics. As far as their behaviour is concerned, anorexics often give excuses about not eating and they tell lies about what they have eaten earlier. They also spend a lot of time reading cookbooks and even cooking food for other people, but eat little (or no food at all) for themselves (NHS, 2008). They adhere to dieting, counting calories, avoiding fattening food, eating low-calorie foods, avoiding eating with other people, hiding food, missing meals, cutting food to tiny pieces, and taking appetite suppressants (NHS, 2008) in order to stay thin. With the NHS defining anorexia as a disorder, they also note important facts about the complications associated with this disease if it stays untreated or undiagnosed. Severe health problems become prevalent because of poor circulation and cardiovascular problems; consequently, heart conditions including coronary heart disease and irregular heartbeats may be seen among anorexics (NHS, 2008). Because the anorexic is not eating enough, he or she would also suffer from mineral deficiency (potassium, calcium, sodium) which is more commonly known as electrolyte imbalance. Due to potassium deficiency, the anorexic is likely to suffer from tiredness, weakness, dehydration, kidney damage, fits, and irregular heartbeats (NHS, 2008). Their low levels of calcium can cause muscle spasms (tetany) and along with Vitamin D deficiency, calcium deficiency can lead to bone damage, and in some cases, osteoporosis. Their sodium deficiency can cause seizures and convulsions and can also cause muscle contractions (NHS, 2008). The following complications may also manifest: low blood pressure, anaemia, hypoglycaemia, liver failure, heart failure, and acute renal failure (NHS, 2008). Based on the information set forth by the NHS, we can assess the disease process of anorexia, that it has causes, symptoms, manifestations, diagnosis and treatment. The NHS strongly supports the belief that anorexia is a real disorder and a mental disorder at that. The National Health Services is a highly credible website because it formulates information based on NHS Evidence from the Health Information Resources (National Library for Health), the Information Centre for Health and Social Care, the Care Quality Commission, and other organizations (NHS, 2008). The NHS is also under government support and the policies it sets forth are based on legislation and on policies being implemented by the government. The literature posted by the NHS is also credible. They are funded by the UK Department of Health, and they are not under any corporate sponsorship. The NHS is very much committed to providing objective information to guide other people in all aspects of their health and their healthcare. They have committed themselves to finding the best and the most accurate information possible with the contents of the literature being balanced and transparent (NHS, 2008). Impartiality and diversity of opinion is also practiced and advocated by the NHS and in instances when views on an issue differ, all relevant opinions are presented for the public’s consideration. The NHS accountability is also based on its users and its desire to deal fairly with them through a culture of learning and of feedback (NHS, 2008). The Psych Central website is a website which features an article on anorexia. In their article, they discussed that based on a biological and genetics-based assessment of anorexia people are less likely to be blamed for their illness (Naubert, 2008). The author also points out that there are different perceptions of anorexia and of anorexics. In instances when it is attributed to sociocultural demands, the public and the health professionals do not have a very sympathetic understanding of the disorder. There is a stigma attached to anorexics having low-self-esteem and poor self-image. In this instance, and even among health professional circles, there is a need to improve the dissemination of information about the disorder (Naubert, 2008). Moreover, there is also a culture of blame in people’s perception of anorexics – they blame parents, they blame society, they blame the rake-thin celebrities, and more importantly, they blame the anorexics themselves (Naubert, 2008). The article also points out that information being disseminated about the disorder is inaccurate and very much based on pop culture and popular beliefs. This culture of blame also perceives anorexia as something that is “under the personal control of those who suffer from it” (Naubert, 2008). Through the article, the author was able to successfully point out that minimal information about the perceived causes (biological, sociocultural, or psychological) of anorexia also affects people’s perception of the disorder. Through the website, we can glean a psychological or behavioural perception of anorexia as a disorder. The article presented in the website is less technical about the causes of anorexia, however, it presents people’s reactions and perceptions about the disorder. Through the website and through the article, the readers are forced to face and confront their own possible biases and perceptions about the disorder and the people suffering from the disorder. The website Psych Central is currently the largest and the oldest independent mental health network (PsychCentral, 2010). They provide information, research, news, and resources about the different psychiatric disorders. They also provide live interaction with members in the basic fashion of a self-help and community support website or group (Psych Central, 2010). Consequently, we can also successfully conclude that the information posted and made available by the website and as assessed from the Naubert article is valid, well-researched, accurate, and credible. In comparing and contrasting the two websites, the NHS website presents a more clinical approach to the issue by enumerating the causes, the manifestations, and the possible complications of the anorexia. PsychCentral, on the other hand, takes a more analytic view of the disorder, choosing to present anorexia as a misunderstood disorder. Nevertheless, both websites present credible and accurate information about the disorder only that, the NHS presentation deals with anorexia as a disorder, and the Psych Central website discusses anorexia more as an issue. From the NHS website, we can gain basic information about the disorder, and from the Psych Central website, a more analytical assessment of the issue can be had. The Anorexic Beauty website is a pro-anorexic website which basically advocates anorexia as a lifestyle. In their home page, they post a short paragraph about the pressures of being pretty; the fact that those who are obese receive horrible looks from strangers, and the fact that they are used as jokes by boys (Anorexic Beauty, n.d). The website sees anorexia or what they term as ‘ana’ as someone who can give them perfection; some place where they would not have to hide themselves; something which can stop the humorous looks; and someone who can make them feel like wonderful about themselves (Anorexic beauty, n.d). The site also offers tips and tricks on how to stay thin. These tips include drinking plenty of water; getting pictures of fat people in order to deter them from eating and looking like these fat people; taking cold showers to burn off fat; eating in front of the mirror; adding too much salt or pepper to food; hanging too small clothes in front of the closet; cleaning the house in order to distract oneself from binging; going shopping for clothes which are one size too small in order to provide motivation for losing weight; phoning one’s boyfriend if one gets the urge to eat in order to serve as a reminder that he would not want a fat girlfriend; and other similar distraction techniques (Anorexic beauty, n.d). The website also has a section which they label as Thinspiration, where they post pictures of about 3-4 extremely obese persons, mentioning under these pictures that if they binge, they would look like these women. Below the ‘fat pictures’, pictures of thin celebrities are posted. And they seem to provide the contrast between the obese pictures – that these thin celebrities and their figures should be the ideal that they should aim for. This website is very much pro-anorexia. It clearly supports anorexia as a lifestyle choice. There is no mention at all of the dangers or possible complications which this disorder can bring. The focus of the website is not even about discussing anorexia as an issue, it supports and advocates anorexia as a way of life. The website also defines beauty in terms of the way a person looks. There is a powerful implication from their words, from their anorexia tips and tricks, and from their “thinspiration” -- that fat is ugly and thin is beautiful. Although some of their tips and tricks are actually healthy and acceptable ways of being thin, their other tips are extremely dangerous measures. They promote fasting and drinking only water and chewing on sugar free gum for 21 days in order to lose weight. They do not however discuss the possible health dangers which can befall them if they adapt these extreme dieting techniques. There are no discussions of electrolyte imbalance, hypotension, osteoporosis and similar complications which may befall them as a result of their disorder. The website does not seem to consider anorexia as a disorder, but they emphasize that it is their way of staying beautiful, feeling wonderful and feeling good about themselves. As such, the website cannot be considered a credible and comprehensive source of information about anorexia. The National Eating Disorder Information Centre (2008) is a non-profit organization which was founded more than 20 years ago in order to provide information about eating disorders and weight preoccupation. The organization aims to educate the public in general about eating disorders, other similar issues, and treatment available for these disorders (National Eating Disorder Information Centre, 2008). Their nursing education also covers information which can be disseminated to schools, communities, groups, and organizations on eating disorders and on the promotion of health (National Eating Disorder Information Centre, 2008). The website gives a comprehensive discussion about eating disorders and weight preoccupation; they also cover the social, cultural, and the biological factors which bring about or affect eating disorders. The site also discusses the treatment, support, and recovery from eating disorders, including health promotion and prevention measures for these disorders (National Eating Disorder Information Centre, 2008). The site provides a very objective and comprehensive assessment of anorexia and of eating disorders as they even include a discussion about pro-anorexia websites and the issues and concerns they have with these websites. The site also offers literature about anorexia. One such literature is the article by Karin Davies entitled Ana & Mia: The Online World of Anorexia & Bulimia. In her article, she presents information about pro-anorexia websites, the risks, involved in these sites, and the possible steps which can be taken in order to deal with this disorder (Davis, 2002). The website and the articles from this website provide vital, reliable, and credible information about the disorder – information which can help in the objective settlement of this issue. In the online news website Associated Content (2010), they feature several articles relating to anorexia as a disorder. These articles set forth various arguments from those who advocate anorexia as a way of life and for those who insist that it is an unhealthy way to lose weight. First and foremost, the website Associated Content is a website where anyone can participate in publishing and contributing information. Information submitted to the website is reviewed, edited, and investigated by the editors; materials cover almost all conceivable topics or issues (Associated Content, 2010). This website covers different topics and it is not a health-related or health-focused website. The articles or discussions on anorexia are contributions or researches submitted by different authors or researchers. It is important to note however that most of the submitted researches on anorexia are well-researched scholarly articles. They are well-referenced and well-documented with accurate statistical figures and theories which relate to the objective analysis of anorexia. In one of the articles submitted to the website, the author White (2005) discusses about Anorexia and Pro-ana. It also discusses about the different theories explaining eating disorders. The article makes mention of the psychodynamic theory which sets forth that anorexics “cannot separate, individuate, and/or develop an independence from the primary caregivers” (White, 2005). There is a contrasting quality of protectiveness and abandonment which causes the anorexics to vacillate between these two extremes – thereby causing the binging and the purging habits of the anorexic. The psychoanalytic theory suggests that symptoms of the disorder are actually part of the person’s defence mechanism which masks other deeper issues (White, 2005). Other theories and explanations pertaining to anorexia include cognitive-behavioural theories which set forth anorexia as a learned behaviour. The article also mentions culture as an important factor which heavily influences the impact of the disorder on a person (White, 2005). This website and the article mentioned herein provide a more theoretical basis of the disorder. Through these theories, we can understand the disorder using the patterns of behaviour as assessed and observed by psychiatric and mental health experts. This gives the article and the website itself a measure of credibility, accuracy, and validity as a resource in understanding the anorexia issue. The Healthy Place website also publishes online an article on anorexia. As a website, Healthy Place is currently the biggest consumer mental health site. It focuses on giving comprehensive and trustworthy information about psychological disorders and even psychiatric medications from the customers and the experts’ point of view (Healthy Place, 2010). Their website also has a support and social network for those who seek help for their disorders. It also provides online psychological tests, mental health news, mental health videos, and live mental health shows (Healthy Place, 2010). They provide general information about mental health and mental health disorders and they also provide useful links which site visitors can visit for more information they may wish to gain. Personal attestations from sufferers of mental health disorders and their process of treatment and recovery are also available in the website. The information they post in the site is also well-researched and well-documented by the research staff. Contributed articles are also reviewed by the research team in order to assess for quality, validity, and reliability of information. The article cited by the website speaks about parents’ reactions to this disorder. They too believe and perceive anorexia as a dangerous disorder. The article also sets forth that it is vital to recognize the symptoms of eating disorders because anorexics are skilled in concealing their symptoms. These anorexics have mastered all sorts of tricks in order to hide the fact that they are not eating enough or at all (Healthy Place, 2008). The article also mentions the consequences and the complications of anorexia which are very much similar to the complications mentioned under the NHS website. The article also points out an even more alarming fact about untreated anorexia – that up to 20% of them with serious manifestations of this disorder die. And so the article also points out the importance of early detection and treatment (Healthy Place, 2008). This is when parents play important roles in the life of their child. It is now up to them to observe their children’s eating habits and to ask help from health professionals in case their children manifest with symptoms very much like eating disorders. The article goes on to discuss how important it is for a concerted and collaborative effort on the part of the health care team to be set in place in order to address this disorder (Healthy Place, 2008). This article and this website also identify anorexia as a mental health disorder which needs intervention and treatment from mental health professionals. This issue clearly and accurately identifies general mental health disorders and the process involved in their treatment. Conclusion The websites discussed in this paper suggest various facts about anorexia. In the NHS website, they lay out the basic information about the disease. Another website chose to assess the issue surrounding the disease – which also involves pro-anorexia discussions. Pro-anorexia websites present a biased and skewed outlook on the disorder, insisting that it is a healthy lifestyle choice and that beauty is assessed based on thinness. Other websites chose to assess the anorexia issue from a theoretical point of view, still another from a behavioural and socio-cultural aspect. And amidst these varying points of view, is an important lesson – that anorexia is a real mental disorder and people who have it need to avail of help from mental health professionals. Left in an untreated state, this disease can lead to disastrous and dire consequences for the anorexic. Works Cited About Associated Content (2010) Associated Content. Retrieved 20 January 2010 from http://www.associatedcontent.com/company.html About Healthy Place (2010). Healthy Place. Retrieved 20 January 2010 from http://www.healthyplace.com/ About US (05 June 2009) National Health Services. Retrieved 19 January 2010 from http://www.nhs.uk/aboutNHSChoices/Pages/AboutNHSChoices.aspx Anorexia Nervosa Introduction (2009) National Health Services Choices. Retrieved 19 January 2010 from http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Anorexia-nervosa/Pages/Introduction.aspx Anorexia nervosa Complications (2009) National Health Services Choices. Retrieved 19 January 2010 from http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Anorexia-nervosa/Pages/Complications.aspx Anorexia Nervosa Symptoms (30 April 2008) National Health Services Choices. Retrieved 19 January 2010 from http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Anorexia-nervosa/Pages/Symptoms.aspx Davis, K (2002) Ana & Mia: The Online World of Anorexia & Bulimia. National Eating Disorder Information Centre. Retrieved 19 January 2010 from http://www.nedic.ca/knowthefacts/documents/AnaandMia.pdf Editorial Policy (09 June 2009) National Health Services. Retrieved 19 January 2010 from http://www.nhs.uk/aboutNHSChoices/Pages/Editorialpolicy.aspx Healthy Place Staff (31 December 2008) For Parents: Eating Disorders are a serious mental health issue. Healthy Place. Retrieved 20 January 2010 from http://www.healthyplace.com/eating-disorders/main/for-parents-eating-disorders-are-a-serious-mental-health-issue/menu-id-58/ Home (21 January 2010) Psych Central. Retrieved 19 January 2010 from http://psychcentral.com/ Index (n.d) The Anorexic Beauty. Retrieved 19 January 2010 from http://theanorexicbeauty.tripod.com/index.html Naubert, R. (9 January 2008) Perception of Anorexia Differs. Psych Central. Retrieved 19 January 2010 from http://p sychcentral.com/news/2008/01/09/perception-of-anorexia-differs/1763.html Overview (2008) National Eating Disorder Information Centre. Retrieved 19 January 2010 from http://www.nedic.ca/about/overview.shtml Thinspiration (n.d) The Anorexic Beauty. Retrieved 19 January 2010 from http://theanorexicbeauty.tripod.com/id7.html Tips N Tricks (n.d) The Anorexic Beauty. Retrieved 19 January 2010 from http://theanorexicbeauty.tripod.com/id6.html White, L. (12 April 2005) Anorexia and Pro-ana. Associated Content. Retrieved 20 January 25, 2010 from http://ww.associatedcontent.com/article/1169/anorexia_and_proana_pg8.html?cat=5 Lauren Elizabeth White Read More