The glorification of anorexia and bulimia in the digital environment
The glorification of anorexia and bulimia on websites, chat rooms, apps, and social media is one of the most widespread sociocultural risk factors when discussing eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia nervosa. The easy accessibility of these spaces through mobile devices and their high level of sharing among very young people impacts the development and maintenance of these disorders in vulnerable populations.
How to recognize these websites or social media profiles?
These harmful platforms and profiles call themselves "princesses and princes" and use hidden keywords related to the eating disorders themselves: Ana for anorexia and Mia for bulimia. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in pro-Ana and pro-Mia content in the digital environment.
The main objective of these profiles is to convey that anorexia and bulimia are a lifestyle, rather than a serious mental disorder with serious physical, psychological and social consequences.
Pro-Ana and pro-Mia groups have existed since the 1990s, but their influence has grown significantly with the rise of the internet and social media . Behind this content is usually someone with an eating disorder seeking validation. The users are mostly young women and men who suffer from an eating disorder or are at risk of developing one. Others may encounter this type of content without actively searching for it, as it appears as a suggestion when they search for specific information related to diet or weight online.
Confronting the glorification of anorexia and bulimia
The aim of these websites is, in many cases, to encourage girls and boys to lose more and more weight in what they describe as "achieving their dream" or "getting closer to perfection." They also share "tricks" to hide the disorder or hold "weight-loss races" to see who can lose the most weight in a given period of time.
The images shared often depict excessively thin bodies and are usually accompanied by motivational quotes that accelerate and worsen the disorder. The language and tone of the messages are typically self-negative, encouraging self-punishment. Following these kinds of guidelines can endanger your health and lead to very serious consequences.
These pages encourage girls and boys to lose more and more weight and "get closer to perfection".
This type of content on the Internet and social media can be a trigger or accelerator for suffering from anorexia or bulimia, as it can lead to irrational thoughts and be a very negative influence on the evolution of the disease.
Content characteristics
Content in the digital environment that promotes anorexia and bulimia shares some common characteristics:
- Specific language: it is common for followers to recognize each other under the nickname of princes and princesses, as well as to camouflage anorexia (Ana) and bulimia (Mia).
- Closeness: a very characteristic feature is that this type of content appears written in the first person, where the author assumes the role of "expert on the subject", contributing what supposedly worked for him or her.
- Extreme recommendations: they put their followers at serious risk with behaviors that are very dangerous to their health.
- Motivation: They control the follower so thoroughly that anyone who tries to "give up" and leave the community is pressured as a group. Any signs of weakness are punished.
- Photos with weight changes: they show extreme "before and after" changes, causing users to empathize and think that they too can achieve it.
- They tag their content with hashtags or labels community-specific features that make it easier for users to find their content on social media platforms.
- Challenges: The leader often challenges their followers by proposing challenges.
What can we do?
If these websites and profiles are so harmful, why do they still exist?
Promoting eating disorders is not a crime in Spain, nor in Europe, as there is no regulation to address these cases. Only in Catalonia, through a decree-law approved in 2019, is it possible to monitor, investigate, and, if necessary, sanction companies, platforms, and digital services that fail to implement measures to eliminate them.
If you detect this type of content, you can contact the Associació contra l'Anorèxia i la Bulímia to report it.
Until there is a legal framework to regulate this type of content, what can be done is to reinforce the person's self-esteem and transmit values related to the subjectivity of beauty and self-acceptance.
- If our son or daughter, family member, or friend is a victim of this type of behavior, we shouldn't judge them , as it's clear the problem has overwhelmed them. It's essential to maintain an atmosphere of trust , which will encourage them to open up to us so we can address these harmful practices and find solutions, such as seeking help from a qualified professional.
- Develop their critical thinking skills. It is essential that they get used to verifying information, seeking other reliable sources, or turning to trusted adults with doubts or concerns, before accepting certain information or ideas as true or harmless.
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