Published on Aug 24, 2012 by AnaGirlEmpath
A study published in "Health
Communication" [professional journal] earlier this month indicates that
ProAna Sites HELP many with eating disorders and may even be crucial in
their path to recovery!
Much like the French-led ANAMIA Study did when published results showed evidence of positive outcomes in ProAna Community participation [and the U.S.-led Peebles and Wilson Study thereafter], this news is turning the world on it's head. The news stories are countless now: Every major agency has something to say about this groundbreaking new study.
The ProAna Movement has been a topic rife with high controversy since 2001, when the first wave of mass media attention -- and immediate, passionate, vehement condemnation -- began. Why the controversy? Until recently, the only studies conducted on ProAna Sites were in the form of content analysis. Front-page material has been erroneously interpreted by outsiders as being taken literally by participants in ProAna Communities. The Movement has been said to glorify and promote eating disorders; to recruit vulnerable youth to embracing ED's as a "Lifestyle"; denying that ED's are genuine illnesses; and/or denying that ED's are serious and Life-threatening. ED Awareness groups have adamantly opposed and campaigned hard to have such communities expunged from the Internet, alongside widespread Media condemnation. Such intense political pressure ultimately resulted in two waves of mass-censorship.
In 2008, France formally banned ProAna websites outright, imposing a steep fine and possible imprisonment of anyone found to own a ProAna Site. Here in the U.S., Facebook, Tumbler, Pinterest and similar social networking sites have implemented policies which ban ProAna content outright under the umbrella of "Self-Harm."
In recent years, more authentic data has been amassed -- rather than outsiders looking in, trying to make sense of the material found on these sites, those within such communities are speaking up; speaking out and sharing about the true meaning of the "Lifestyle" Anthem [written as an empowerment strategy and rejection of victim mentality in the face of a potent, insidious, devastating and incurable chronic illness; fatal in 20% of cases and VERY difficult to treat] and what ProAna is actually about [i,e., unconditional ED support outside of the rigid censorship seen in Conventional Recovery Communities].
So, what really goes on in ProAna Communities? Two notable studies preceded the one mentioned in this video: The Peebles and Wilson study here in the U.S., and the groundbreaking ANAMIA Study, conducted in France, which looked at Eurpoean ED sufferer experiences with ProAna support sites online. The evidence collected in the past few years clearly indicates that these communities are not the horrifying threat they were purported to be for the majority of the past decade -- and is actually *helping* people on the path to recovery.
FULL CITATION: http://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/ebm/record/22873763/full_citation/Comm...
Title Communicating Stigma: The Pro-Ana Paradox.
Author(s) Yeshua-Katz D, Martins N
Institution a Department of Telecommunications , Indiana University.
Source Health Commun 2012 Aug 8.
Abstract This study explores the personal experience of pro-ana bloggers, members of an online community for people with eating disorders. Using Erving Goffman's work on stigma, this study explores the motivations, benefits, and drawbacks of blogging about a stigmatized mental illness, as taken from the bloggers' own perceptive. We conducted 33 interviews with bloggers from seven different countries via phone, Skype, and e-mail. Participants were motivated to blog because they found social support, a way to cope with a stigmatized illness, and means of self-expression. Participants described blogging as a cathartic experience and perceived the social support they received from other members of the pro-ana community as a benefit. The fear that the eating disorder will be revealed if the blog is exposed and the concern that the blog encourages disordered eating were the perceived negative consequences of maintaining such a blog. Thus, blogging about anorexia serves to both alleviate and trigger anxiety about living with this stigmatized illness. Recommendations for future research are made.
Language ENG
Pub Type(s) JOURNAL ARTICLE
PubMed ID 22873763
LINK TO FULL IU INTERVIEW ARTICLE: http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/22967.html
IU researchers interview pro-anorexic bloggers for groundbreaking new study
Primary motivation of many was to seek social support and deal with stigma, not promote a 'lifestyle'
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 20, 2012
Much like the French-led ANAMIA Study did when published results showed evidence of positive outcomes in ProAna Community participation [and the U.S.-led Peebles and Wilson Study thereafter], this news is turning the world on it's head. The news stories are countless now: Every major agency has something to say about this groundbreaking new study.
The ProAna Movement has been a topic rife with high controversy since 2001, when the first wave of mass media attention -- and immediate, passionate, vehement condemnation -- began. Why the controversy? Until recently, the only studies conducted on ProAna Sites were in the form of content analysis. Front-page material has been erroneously interpreted by outsiders as being taken literally by participants in ProAna Communities. The Movement has been said to glorify and promote eating disorders; to recruit vulnerable youth to embracing ED's as a "Lifestyle"; denying that ED's are genuine illnesses; and/or denying that ED's are serious and Life-threatening. ED Awareness groups have adamantly opposed and campaigned hard to have such communities expunged from the Internet, alongside widespread Media condemnation. Such intense political pressure ultimately resulted in two waves of mass-censorship.
In 2008, France formally banned ProAna websites outright, imposing a steep fine and possible imprisonment of anyone found to own a ProAna Site. Here in the U.S., Facebook, Tumbler, Pinterest and similar social networking sites have implemented policies which ban ProAna content outright under the umbrella of "Self-Harm."
In recent years, more authentic data has been amassed -- rather than outsiders looking in, trying to make sense of the material found on these sites, those within such communities are speaking up; speaking out and sharing about the true meaning of the "Lifestyle" Anthem [written as an empowerment strategy and rejection of victim mentality in the face of a potent, insidious, devastating and incurable chronic illness; fatal in 20% of cases and VERY difficult to treat] and what ProAna is actually about [i,e., unconditional ED support outside of the rigid censorship seen in Conventional Recovery Communities].
So, what really goes on in ProAna Communities? Two notable studies preceded the one mentioned in this video: The Peebles and Wilson study here in the U.S., and the groundbreaking ANAMIA Study, conducted in France, which looked at Eurpoean ED sufferer experiences with ProAna support sites online. The evidence collected in the past few years clearly indicates that these communities are not the horrifying threat they were purported to be for the majority of the past decade -- and is actually *helping* people on the path to recovery.
FULL CITATION: http://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/ebm/record/22873763/full_citation/Comm...
Title Communicating Stigma: The Pro-Ana Paradox.
Author(s) Yeshua-Katz D, Martins N
Institution a Department of Telecommunications , Indiana University.
Source Health Commun 2012 Aug 8.
Abstract This study explores the personal experience of pro-ana bloggers, members of an online community for people with eating disorders. Using Erving Goffman's work on stigma, this study explores the motivations, benefits, and drawbacks of blogging about a stigmatized mental illness, as taken from the bloggers' own perceptive. We conducted 33 interviews with bloggers from seven different countries via phone, Skype, and e-mail. Participants were motivated to blog because they found social support, a way to cope with a stigmatized illness, and means of self-expression. Participants described blogging as a cathartic experience and perceived the social support they received from other members of the pro-ana community as a benefit. The fear that the eating disorder will be revealed if the blog is exposed and the concern that the blog encourages disordered eating were the perceived negative consequences of maintaining such a blog. Thus, blogging about anorexia serves to both alleviate and trigger anxiety about living with this stigmatized illness. Recommendations for future research are made.
Language ENG
Pub Type(s) JOURNAL ARTICLE
PubMed ID 22873763
LINK TO FULL IU INTERVIEW ARTICLE: http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/22967.html
IU researchers interview pro-anorexic bloggers for groundbreaking new study
Primary motivation of many was to seek social support and deal with stigma, not promote a 'lifestyle'
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 20, 2012
