# data[].attributes.body
Thinking badly about yourself could lead to you not eating because of not liking your body, or your body being different. You should be happy with your body and make you reputation strong and positive and set your mind on positive things.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In the worst cases, eating disorders and other unhealthy behaviors develop. Eating disorders are more common among females than males. Yet the National Eating Disorders Association says about 10 percent of patients are male. (Besides a poor body image, other factors are often to blame.

# data[].attributes.body
Promoting anorexia is good, making overweight people less overweight. They may be encouraged by the results of anorexia. If you think your over weigh and you see on your instagram that a skinny girl has anorexia then that may encourage you.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Pro-Ana Websites Should Not Be Regulated

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Eating Disorders, edited by Roman Espejo, Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http%3A%2F%2Flink.galegroup.com%2Fapps%2Fdoc%2FEJ3010128251%2FOVIC%3Fu%3Dpl2683%26sid%3DOVIC%26xid%3D5cafcacf. Accessed 6 Mar. 2019. Originally published as "Eating Disorders and the Internet: The Therapeutic Possibilities," Perspectives in Psychology, vol. 5, Spring 2002, pp. 35-41.

# data[].attributes.body
Anorexia is overcoming society and people need to start seeing that other people are losing weight a certain way then they will most likely try it. But it may cause stress if your results are not the same.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
To say that pro-ana blogs and websites - an online community for those with eating disorders - are controversial is an understatement. While some say they exist as a non-judgmental space for anorexics to seek support for their mental illness, others sites make the highly disturbing claim that anorexia is not an illness but rather a "lifestyle" choice. So how can a new study in the journal Health Communication say, in contrast to media reports and other research about the pro-ana community, that there are benefits to the pro-ana sites?

33 bloggers from seven different countries were interviewed by researchers from Indiana University. (300 bloggers had been contacted and the ten percent response is statistically significant.) Both male and female bloggers were contacted but only women responded. Most of those who responded were in high school or college; aged 15 to 33, two-thirds were from the US.

Anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric disorder in which individuals lose between 15 and 60 percent of their body weight and are susceptible to osteoporosis and cardiac ailments which can lead to death. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, anorexia affected more than 11 million people in the US in 2010. Of any mental illness, eating disorders have the highest mortality rate, while the mortality rate associated with anorexia is twelve times higher than the death rate for all causes of death for 15-24 year old females.
Anorexics, Stigma and Social Media
The study differed from earlier ones in that researchers actually interviewed pro-ana bloggers, while previous studies have focused on analyzing the admittedly troubling content of pro-ana sites. Indeed, some pro-ana sites have been shut down by internet providers after complaints from eating disorder support groups.

Daphna Yeshua-Katz, a doctoral student in telecommunications in the IU College of Arts and Sciences and the study's lead author, researches how marginalized individuals use social media to mediate their stigma. Citing studies showing that anorexics and bulimics often feel stigmatized, Yeshua-Katz notes that the blogs are used "to look for support and understanding, but at the same time, the content that they display is something for us - people who are not sick - very disturbing." Bloggers find the sites "a place to vent out and express themselves without judgment of others," of parents, therapists and friends friends whose well-intentioned urgings to eat and "get well" may only leave those with eating disorders defiant.

Other studies have said that pro-ana sites promote and maintain anorexia. But only five of the bloggers in the study said they had created their sites to share weight-lost tips; the researchers found that most bloggers "did actively engage in ways to warn their audience about the content and ignored or blocked requests for tips and tricks from what they nicknamed 'wannarexics' - young teenagers who want to become anorexic."

Yeshua-Katz also noted that, of the 33 women interviewed, 27 defined their eating disorder as an illness and six described it as a coping mechanism. Only three referred to anorexia as a "lifestyle." Nearly 20 percent of the women in the study said that they were in the process of undergoing treatment and, when a blogger said she wished to stop self-harm behavior and seek treatment, the community was supportive.

As Nicole Martins, an assistant professor of telecommunications at IU, says in Science Daily,

"These communities are providing support, albeit supporting an illness that may result in someone's death. But until they're ready to go and seek recovery on their own terms, this might actually be a way of prolonging their life, so that they are mentally ready to tackle their recovery process.

"From the outside looking in, this looks like a really disturbing community, but I think that the fact that these women are able to find support from one another and find a place where someone understands what they're going through is a really good thing."

A patient seeking out support is seen as "a good predictor of compliance and treatment leading to a cure" in the medical community, says Science Daily. Disordered eating is a very "solitary and isolating experience," the researchers say, and the internet is therefore "an ideal place for offering support and advice." Yeshua-Katz and Martins emphasized that they hope the medical community might be provided with a greater understanding about anorexics.

As the researchers write, "people living with eating disorders are not purposely making unhealthy or health-compromising decisions. They are trying to find the best way they can to live with this disorder."

What do you think about this study? Can there be any benefits to pro-ana sites?
Related Care2 Coverage Booze, Not Food, Say Drunkorexics Anorexic Woman Must Be Force Fed, UK Judge Rules Jennifer Lawrence Isn't Thin Enough To Play Katniss? Image by olgaberries

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Pro-Ana Sites Have Benefits, Says New Study | Care2 Causes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
To say that pro-ana blogs and websites - an online community for those with eating disorders - are controversial is an understatement. While some say they exist as a non-judgmental space for anorexics to seek support for their mental illness, others sites make the highly disturbing claim that anorexia is not an illness but rather a "lifestyle" choice.

# data[].attributes.body
.Learning to ignore bad sides of society can boost your ego and give you self esteem. If you stop coming across these "perfect'' instagram models maybe you'll start liking your body better giving your personality a boost.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Young people learn about how society defines the ideal physique primarily from various forms of print and digital media that bombard them with images. For girls, the ideal body is typically presented as slim and toned, while for boys, the ideal physique is often one that is strong with a low percentage of body fat.

# data[].attributes.body
Body shaming causing disorders and/or depression. Making it seem like your sad could cause people to think of you as down or negative. Being taught to except yourself and being happy with your body is a skill more people need.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Body Image & Weight Issues: What Causes Negative Views

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What is the relationship between weight, eating disorders and negative body image disorder? Signs, symptoms, and effects. Eating Disorder Hope

# data[].attributes.body
Body image could cause depression making you feel that your not good enough. This is affecting your mental health making you feel like your not good enough. People may think of you as insecure or suicidal.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What is body image?

Body image refers to a person's personal view of their body shape, size, weight, and appearance. It also consists of how greatly one values a desired body weight, size or shape, preoccupation, level of satisfaction, and fear of weight gain. Body image is also influenced by personal body size and shape history, as well as cultural and societal norms and expectations. This image of oneself may or may not reflect how others view them or be an objective view of their body. It is important to note that most people experience some degree of body dissatisfaction or distress either at some point in their lives during a period of body change; For example, during adolescence, pregnancy or illness. Many experience body image dissatisfaction to some extent throughout their lives.

Causes of Body Image Dissatisfaction

Poor body image can begin to develop at a very young age. With estimates ranging from 20-70% of children under the age of 6 expressing body dissatisfaction. It is more commonly thought that negative body image affects only girls and women, but this is not the case. Men and boys suffer negative body image and related poor self-esteem too, but they may be less likely to admit to being affected because it is less socially acceptable. Body dissatisfaction in boys and men can often be focused on a desire to be bigger or have more muscle mass, rather than thinness per se.

There are many factors that may contribute to negative body image. Within American culture, thinness and beauty are highly valued, and wealth and success are often considered to go hand in hand with being thin. The media has historically glamorized thinness. This is witnessed in television, movies, news, and professional sports. Media, and social media, specifically, serve to fuel body image concerns in children, teenagers, and adults. Influencers and social media presences demonstrate what it looks like to be beautiful, thin, successful, and popular. Their body weight, appearance and beauty are often associated with their social standing, wealth, and success. This is despite the fact that social media accounts are highly curated, often unrealistically altered snapshots of an individual's appearance and lived experience. Thin-ideal media highlights the idea that thinness is a good and desirable thing to be, even if it is to a level that is potentially damaging to a persons health.

Participation in certain aesthetic sports or activities can also fuel body image concerns and efforts to alter one's body shape and size. Sports such as gymnastics, dance, distance running, and swimming may place participants at risk for body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. These risks can be elevated in elite-level athletics.

Body image and eating disorders

The development of an eating disorder is the result of a complex interaction of biological, psychological, social and environmental factors. Negative body image alone is not necessarily enough to trigger an eating disorder. However, poor body image may result in dieting or restrictive eating patterns in order to lose weight, which can develop into an eating disorder. This is especially true for those with a genetic predisposition toward developing eating disorders.

One component of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa specifically is an over-valuation of shape and weight, meaning that body size and shape are given a high value in the person's overall self-concept. Those with anorexia nervosa often struggle to accurately perceive or describe their body size and shape, even if they become dangerously underweight. Furthermore, body image concerns typically do not improve over the course of the illness or as an individual loses weight. Though this is not described as part of the diagnostic criteria, people with binge eating disorder (BED) can experience over-evaluation of shape and weight, and it can be a strong indicator of severity of eating disorder symptoms in these individuals.

The Effects of Poor Body Image

The effects of a poor body image of women can be profound. For someone genetically predisposed to an eating disorder, dieting caused by a negative body image could trigger one. However for the majority of the population, what happens is a preoccupation with food and diet, weight cycling, low self-esteem, low self-confidence and never feeling that one's body is adequate. In addition to leading to the development of eating disorders, a poor body image can contribute to depression, anxiety, problems in relationships, the development of substance abuse problems, and consequently various health problems.

Poor self-esteem often contributes to problems in relationships, the workplace, and any area in life that requires confidence.

Addressing and treating Negative Body Image

Changing the way the media portrays women is a long-term goal for many advocacy groups. There are currently national and international efforts to make marketers take responsibility for displaying pictures of men and women that are unrealistic. The #truthinads campaign is an example of this and some beauty brands and clothing producers have reacted to public pressure by promising never to use photoshopped models in their catalogs and to expand sizes.

On the individual level, there are some things you can practice to improve self-esteem. Focusing on your accomplishments and good qualities and important aspects of your self-concept, repeating gratitude and loving kindness affirmations, and engaging in activities that result in a feeling of pleasure and mastery can all help to shore up self-esteem. Regularly engaging in enjoyable and moderate movement or exercise can also help with body image. With regard to social media, unfollowing social media accounts that result in excessive comparison or feelings of distress. Excessively seeking out social media content that results in downward social comparison, or, taking the stance that you are not as good (fit, thin, healthy, etc.), as the person or account you are viewing, is especially detrimental to mental health. Following body positive influencers or accounts may help. However, if you find it difficult to identify with the message that you should simply love your body as it is, it may be wise to distance yourself from these types of posts as well. negative body image and disordered eating in response.

For those with serious anxiety, depression or eating disorders related to poor body image, psychotherapy or counseling is recommended. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective form of therapy that can be used to target poor body image as a stand-alone issue or in the context of effective eating disorder treatment. It can take a long time to get to a place of love for your body, especially after years of dissatisfaction and efforts to change your body. Therapy can help you to move first toward a place of body acceptance and appreciation.
Sponsored Content:
Selah House offers Christian eating disorder treatment for women and teen girls. They utilize evidence-based approaches and focus on dealing with the underlying issues to support long-term recovery. To find out more about Sela House and see how they can help, just follow the link to their website.
Additional Information:
For more information on the media and body image, follow these links to body image in the media, the perfect body image, and Barbie and body image. To find out how you can help and to learn about healthy body images and body dysmorphic disorder, just follow the links. Learn more about how weight stigma and eating disorders are related.

Here is a list of celebrities that promote a healthy body image. Be sure to choose your role models carefully.

See also these tips from the National Eating Disorder Association: 10 Steps to Positive Body Image
Return To Home Page Written by Tabitha Farrar - 2014 References:
Updated by Dr Elisha Mitchell Carcierei, Ph.D. - 2019
1. Park, S. (2005). The influence of presumed media influence on women's desire to be thin.Communication Research, 32(5), 594-614.

2. Hargreaves, D. A., &Tiggemann, M. (2004). Idealized media images and adolescent body image: "comparing" boys and girls. Body Image, 1(4), 351-361.

3. LM, Irwin CE & Scully S: Disordered eating characteristics in girls: A survey of middle class children. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 1992

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Body image refers to a person's personal view of their body shape, size, weight, and appearance. It also consists of how greatly one values a desired body weight, size or shape, preoccupation, level of satisfaction, and fear of weight gain.

# data[].attributes.body
Covering the whole base of how body image effects you.

# data[].attributes.body
Magazines may make one think that you have to achieve a body like the photoshopped body on the magazines.

# data[].attributes.body
Someone calling you a negative name can make you see yourself the way people call you out. If you don't like being called that you may get upset.

# data[].attributes.body
People telling you that your fat or too skinny may cause an eating disorder because of fear your getting too fat or too skinny.

# data[].attributes.body
Social media shows "fake bodies"  which makes people think they need to attain a certain body shape or weight.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Stripping away negative body image | Lillian Bustle | TEDxJerseyCity

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Studies have shown that the media's portrayal of women's bodies has a severely negative impact on the self-image of women and girls. But what about seeing positive images of women? Actor and Burlesque performer Lillian Bustle grew up battling body shame and harassment that colored her view of the world and her own worth.

# data[].attributes.body
Negative body image can make you sad, angry or upset with yourself. But you have no reason to be upset over your body. love yourself for you..

# data[].attributes.body
Getting stressed over how much you weigh is wrong. You don't have to get stressed over weight loss.

# data[].attributes.body
This young girl is checking her weight. she should not be thinking about weight at this age.