Expert: Reverend Abbott - 3/10/2004

Question
Hi, my name is Serene Chong, and i am a freelance writer in Brisbane, Australia. I am very interested to research for and write an article about the arising issue of eating disorders.
I was wondering if i could ask you a few questions. Do you think that the internet (proanorexia sites etc) play a big part in encouraging eating disorders to arise? Please educate me more on the issue.
Thanking you in advance,
Serene Chong

Answer
There are 3 sources of cause for anorexia: 1. Psychological, 2. Biological, 3. Environmental.  Or any combination of these three.  
In addressing ONLY the psychological realm, it's not just the internet that contributes to anorexia, but the media in general.  Before the internet, anorexia was still a plague. It began rising in numbers in the late 1960's and began creeping into medical diagnoses more commonly in the 1970's.  By the 80's, it was known by pretty much every doctor, school personnel, counselors, and movie of the week watcher.  Everyone, it seemed, became an expert.  The facts, however, were that few outside of specifically trained medical personnel and the sufferers themselves, knew all the nuances of this disease.  Even today, the worst part of the internet promotion (pro ana sites) is that people (generally young girls) think it's a CHOICE to be anorexic and thus, to cure it, "just start eating".  That's as absurd and ignorant as telling an overweight person to "just STOP eating".  

Even when anorexia is begun by CHOICE, it absolutely never, ever ends that way.  Once started, it cannot be stopped just by wanting to.  It is usually stopped when severe health problems arise, or it kills the victim.  

The worst encouragement to anorexia is this ignorance.  It's the ignorance of how few t.v. stars, movie stars, models, magazine personalities and so on - REALLY look 'real'.  Nearly 100% (seriously) of ALL photographs are airbrushed, spliced together, or computer graphics - even Jennifer Aniston was a combination of several altered photos of herself on numerous, recent t.v. guides and magazine covers.  I believe she even threatened to sue for at least one of them.

Find out more about e.d.'s and specifically anorexia at my site.  It's free, it's honest and it's about that.  I'm a sufferer myself and will answer any questions you have.  Email me from my site or right here.

http://www.geocities.com/thereverend1investigates/