Confronting Pro-Anna

Over one million people in the UK have anorexia. Twenty percent will die as a direct result. It is the most complex and fatal psychiatric disorder and, contrary to popular belief, eating disorders are not only common among young women; cases have been recognised in children as young as three through to adults in their eighties, and in both men and women they are on the increase.

In this second study of the portrayal of women in the media, Chimp looks at the common effects of the constant bombardment of so-called perfect imagery. The pressure to attain a flawless image affects us all in varying degrees; on a surface level it can mean spending hard earned cash on the latest miracle wrinkle cream, worrying about ‘does my bum look big in this’ or hitting the gym to strive for a six pack. However, taken a step further, these images can be the spark to ignite underlying issues, leading to a more developed physical and mental health risk.

Due to personal conflicts, and perhaps due to a a common feeling of being unable to ask for help outright, these thoughts, this germ of emotion, can become self perpetuating, fuelling a deepseated trauma which often manifests in eating disorders. EDs are the outward symptom of a much deeper problem, yet tragically, without the proper help, they are the cause of so many pointless deaths.

Despite the sheer number of sufferers, individuals can often feel isolated, wary of the associated stigma and perhaps, as well, of being a concern or burden to loved ones. A ready source of information for the anonymous sufferer would surely be an internet search and helpful sites like www.b-eat.co.uk, which is the working name of the Eating Disorders Association.

However this search also easily opens up Pro-Anna sites, pages dedicated to promoting and sustaining Anorexia and other eating disorders. They make for shocking viewing, with open forums for members to post diet tips and encourage each other in their quest for skinny, page after page of ‘thinspiration’ images of celebs, and perhaps even more disturbing, a members gallery showing home made photos of ‘sucesses’.

The celebrity endorsements of extreme slimness are equally as shocking; in an interview with fashion website WWD, Kate Moss stated her motto is “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”. Thankfully Denise Van Outen openly retaliated with “Kate Moss is talking out of her Size Zero backside, having been in the industry for so long, she knows the impact her comments will have on vulnerable young women”.

The media’s current obsession with ‘size zero’, and more recently ‘double zero’ more than suggests that the more body inches celebrities lose, the more magazine column inches they gain, so is it any real surprise that the fame hungry latch onto the weight issue with scant regard to how it affects their young fans?

While I would hardly suggest that magazine images and celebrity endorsements bear sole responsibility for eating disorders, it is interesting that the more the media obsesses about weight, the higher the reported cases of EDs. It’s time we took stock of the very real and devastating consequences of eating disorders, and tried to understand that those suffering need empathy. Time to tackle the issue head on, rather than glamorise this sensitive and potentially fatal disorder.

Shirlaine Forrest

 
Model: Stephanie Miller