Pro Anorexia on MFP....

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  • SNYPorter
    SNYPorter Posts: 13 Member
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    thanks for sharing, I totally agree about taking care of ourselves and also accepting ourselves without cruelty
  • Athena98501
    Athena98501 Posts: 716 Member
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    To those who've posted here about being sufferers, when it's first starting, does a friend expressing concern help?
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,735 Member
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    I have never actually seen any pro anorexia people on here, I always see on peoples profiles "DONT ADD ME IF YOU ARE PRO-ANA!!!" I have never, ever seen any so Im wondering how common it actually is on here.

    there was recently a private group on here dedicated to pro-Ana. the mission statement went so far as to say the group was accepting and non-judgemental. the MFP staff deleted it as soon as it was brought to their attention. it had a lot of members. so yes, they are here.
  • Shadowknight137
    Shadowknight137 Posts: 1,243 Member
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    Not as much pro anorexia as it is an anorexia lure.

    MFP is to an ED like what a pub is to an alcoholic - sure, they provide the means to get piss-drunk, but you're the one who decides to do it. There's a difference between giving the means to count food intake and supporting the abuse of it. One way or another, ED's are gonna have ED's - take away MFP and they'll just find another way to restrict, like, I dunno, the Internet?

    That said, I personally believe the site/app should be renamed "MyWeightLossBuddy" or "MyScaleShrinkingFriend" or something. Dafuq can't my pals see my gains, but I see their losses? It don't make no sense.
  • randoswife
    randoswife Posts: 32 Member
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    To those who've posted here about being sufferers, when it's first starting, does a friend expressing concern help?

    No, sorry :(
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
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    To those who've posted here about being sufferers, when it's first starting, does a friend expressing concern help?
    For me, it wouldn't have mattered, no matter who it was. I probably would have just agreed with them, would have eaten something in front of them just to satisfy them, then go back to my old routine when they weren't around. Eventually, I wouldn't even do that and became angry if they even mentioned it.
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
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    I learned what PRO-ANA meant today! YAY... I was always like, who is this Ana? I thought she was like a female version of Dr. Bernstein lol

    This is a great site with a great app so it would make sense that even a lot of anorexics would use it. I keep my food diary private because I follow a low carb diet and consume a considerable amount more fat than I'm "supposed" to... not because I'm pro-anorexia :) FYI

    I did struggle to hit 1500 calories/day but now that I understand more where I can add calories without carbs I usually eat about 1800/day
  • _Lori_Lynn_
    _Lori_Lynn_ Posts: 460
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    Never mind.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    I can't say I've really seen any threads that I thought were pro-anorexia.

    I can't say I have either, not that I look for them. As a petite woman who has never had anorexia, it pisses me off that some people actually don't know that being 100 or under does not mean you're anorectic.
  • skinnybunny_x
    skinnybunny_x Posts: 449
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    I don't think you should be diagnosing people as anorexic. There are some days when I restrict calories to 600 - 1,000, but that doesn't mean I have a disease. It just means I take my fitness lifestyle very seriously. I think sometimes people are annoyed with those of us that have such dedication. Just do your own personal best, and don't worry about anyone else. If anyone here has a problem, they are adults & are their own responsibility.
  • jesleatherman
    jesleatherman Posts: 5 Member
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    I have noticed. I am happy that the app does tell you when you are going into starvation mode. skinny and weak is not pretty. strong, and lean is...i just noticed a 5'3 woman post that she wants to be 112 ...I am 5 ' 1.5 and at that weight I would feel unhealthy. Muscle weighs more than fat and I would rather be strong than skinny and weak...
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
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    I can see why people would use mfp or actually do anorexic things, some here even without noticing. Even myself and it wasn't until I had been doing it for some time I realized it was anorexic behavior.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    I think much of the time it is the general misunderstanding that to weigh less or to lose eight equates to eating less.. and therefore this ED mindset starts.

    Actually, eating less is how people lose weight. The problem with ED folks is that they take it too far, usually because of a psychological problem.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    I have noticed. I am happy that the app does tell you when you are going into starvation mode. skinny and weak is not pretty. strong, and lean is...i just noticed a 5'3 woman post that she wants to be 112 ...I am 5 ' 1.5 and at that weight I would feel unhealthy. Muscle weighs more than fat and I would rather be strong than skinny and weak...

    Maybe YOU would feel unhealthy, but that weight might be perfectly fine for that woman.

    Do you know her weight and health history? Are you a doctor?
  • clb1985
    clb1985 Posts: 17
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    Anyone else notice that there are alot of pro-anorexia people on MFP? I think that is too sad. I am on here to become my healthiest and take care of my body. I see girls who report only eating like 500-900 calories and they are destroying their bodies by doing that. I am a hospice nurse and I see so many people dying from diseases related to body neglect/mistreatment and I want to prevent that. I have even taken care of a woman who literally starved herself to death from anorexia. It was such a young and pointless death. I just hope no matter your size, everyone can look in the mirror at the end of the day and realize they are amazing no matter what the scale says. Just my 2 cents....

    I almost lost my life to anorexia 2 years ago, it is an ongoing battle to gain control over that wicked voice in my mind, one I win most days, I just struggle with ed in general now
    it is so sad, and breaks my heart these girls actually do not mean to cause harm, they think they are right that voice is right in their head, it is not them. anorexia is a disease a horrid illness and one that is so so hard and soul destroying.
    there is nothing it seems that can be done to stop them posting
    I wish there was more we could do to help them, I was one of them once xxx
  • Athena98501
    Athena98501 Posts: 716 Member
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    Anyone else notice that there are alot of pro-anorexia people on MFP? I think that is too sad. I am on here to become my healthiest and take care of my body. I see girls who report only eating like 500-900 calories and they are destroying their bodies by doing that. I am a hospice nurse and I see so many people dying from diseases related to body neglect/mistreatment and I want to prevent that. I have even taken care of a woman who literally starved herself to death from anorexia. It was such a young and pointless death. I just hope no matter your size, everyone can look in the mirror at the end of the day and realize they are amazing no matter what the scale says. Just my 2 cents....

    I almost lost my life to anorexia 2 years ago, it is an ongoing battle to gain control over that wicked voice in my mind, one I win most days, I just struggle with ed in general now
    it is so sad, and breaks my heart these girls actually do not mean to cause harm, they think they are right that voice is right in their head, it is not them. anorexia is a disease a horrid illness and one that is so so hard and soul destroying.
    there is nothing it seems that can be done to stop them posting
    I wish there was more we could do to help them, I was one of them once xxx

    At the very beginning of it, is there anything anyone else can say or do to help? I'm trying to find out if it can be avoided once the behavior has started, or if it's already too late. It breaks my heart every time I see a friend on that path. I can't watch what they're doing to themselves, but I can't just de-friend them without talking to them about it either.
  • BldHny2002
    BldHny2002 Posts: 193 Member
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    I remember when "pro-ana" came into the spotlight, and I was reading up on in (I have an interest in mental disorders), and I read a site that had a FAQ and one question was along the lines of "I have an anorexic friend, what can I say to make them stop?" and the answer was "If it was you, what could someone say to make you stop?", and that really made me think.... If you are hellbent on doing something, nothing anyone says is going to make you stop.

    My boyfriend was worried about me developing an eating disorder and he told me "Being skinny does not guarantee anyone will love you."

    It sounded really harsh (and it was!) but he meant it as "all of your dreams will not come true because you skipped breakfast or didn't have dessert." ... And I kind of needed that tough love.
  • AmberLee2012
    AmberLee2012 Posts: 540
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    Yes and I agree it is very sad. I always want to say something but then I feel like it's not my place. I just hope that a loved one will step forward and see that they need help.
  • FitMrsR
    FitMrsR Posts: 226 Member
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    I just want to make a big distinction here.
    Not all girls who have anorexia or another eating disorder are "pro-ana" or "pro-ED." Most of them at least on some level know that what they are doing is unhealthy and are just not yet capable of stopping. I know there are some people who support starvation diets on the forums, but I think those people are more ignorant or uninformed than the mal-intent generally associated with pro-ana.

    I have a few friends here on MFP that eat anywhere from 200-1000 calories per day. They have disordered eating habits. I believe the reason they added me as a friend is because they on some level want to recover. They want to see someone doing it the healthy way, counting /enough/ calories and doing exercise for the sake of it instead of to burn off something "bad" they ate. At least I hope so.

    All calorie counting websites, especially one with as accurate and complete a database as MFP, will attract people with eating disorders. Seriously, go anywhere else and you'll see the same thing.

    Yes!! OMG. I'm so sick of people accusing people with actual problems of being pro-Ana/Mia. I have NEVER met anyone who would promote such a thing. They may struggle themselves but always encourage others to be healthy and seek help. I wish people would stop being so judgemental of those with mental illnesses--because that's what it is. And it's so hard to stop, seek help, and recover.
  • Jonesie1984
    Jonesie1984 Posts: 612 Member
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    Anorexia isn't usually about weight loss. It may start that way for some, but it's usually about control.

    ^^^ THIS.

    Still sad but it usual stems from sort of "life chaos" or insecurities..I can't have them on my FL though.. This place is for me to be with happy like goaled people I can't have that sorry

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