AnaGirl Empath 0  

I've been researching ProAna for over 10 years and my conclusions are these: What goes on in these communities -- how they view ED's and those seeking to cultivate pathology -- is very different from how they are portrayed in the media.  If one steps away from reactionary revulsion and examines what actually goes on in a ProAna Community, one finds that the results of the recent study, "Communicating Stigma: The Pro-Ana Paradox", reflect the majority.  ProAna was conceived for eating disorder (ED) sufferers, by ED sufferers as an empowerment strategy; not some weird cult in which to deny the seriousness and reality of ones illness, and certainly not to recruit others to pathology.  In fact, most are vehemently opposed to 'wanarexic' individuals looking for tips or to cultivate an ED.  The vast majority of those identifying as ProAna are well aware that ED's are serious mental illnesses. As for those who think recovery sites are adequate, know this: current treatment modalities fail the vast majority of ED sufferers in the long-term (60-75% failure rate at best estimates). These illnesses are insidious and very difficult to cope with.  Conventional recovery sites are so censored (lest a member 'trigger' another via mention of numbers or a negative thought regarding the ED experience) that opening up about this very private, personal subject is all the more difficult. The ProAna Movement is best interpreted by the context in which it began: ProACTIVE In Anorexia [and other ED's.]  The "lifestyle" concept is nothing more than an empowering symbol of rejection of victim mentality -- it was never meant to be interpreted literally.
For more information, see the following:

Understanding The ProAna Movement I: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYy1_zNvkHA
Understanding The ProAna Movement II: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e1SEJPeh_g