““Thin is what we’re Thin is what we’re supposed to be, supposed to be,

not what we’re supposed not what we’re supposed to talk about”:to talk about”:

A qualitative study of pro-eating A qualitative study of pro-eating disorder blogging communitiesdisorder blogging communities

Andrea Weare, Graduate Student

Purpose of the studyPurpose of the study

• To investigate how and why a virtual pro-eating disorder (pro-ED) community was formed and continues to grow

• To examine the current mode of mass media coverage that promotes a “spiral of silence”

• To examine other communication-related issues which contribute to the growth in eating disorders

TheoryTheory

• Mass media effects– Those who suffer from eating disorders develop their

sense of what is beautiful or what is the ideal body type from images and textual messages they see in media.

Reading magazines targeted to female teenagers was significantly related to the development of eating disorders in a sample of 3,000 12- to 21-year-olds.

-Martinez-Gonzalez et al., 2003

“Thin is good”

“Too thin is bad”

Theory, cont.Theory, cont.

“Exposure to the media is so widespread that if such exposure were the cause of EDs (eating disorders), then it would be difficult to explain why anyone would not be eating-

disordered.” -Herman & Polivy, 2002, p. 192

• Interpersonal effects– Interpersonal pressure from parents, siblings, and friends adds to the

motivation to achieve the thin ideal seen in the mass media

– Perceived influence of others: Women and girls “are affected by their perceptions of how others are influenced” by these images of thinness more so than how they themselves are influenced

-Park, 2005, p. 598

“This is a pro-ana website. That means this is a place where anorexia is regarded as a lifestyle and a choice, not an illness or disorder. There are no victims here. If you regard anorexia exclusively as a disease, see yourself as the ‘victim’ of an ‘eating

disorder’ in need of ‘recovery,’ or are seeking ‘recovery,’ it is strongly suggested that you leave this site immediately.”

-oOo...ana's underground grotto...oOo, 2007

Theory, cont.Theory, cont.

• Spiral of silence:

– When discussing a controversial topic, individuals who believe in the perceived popular viewpoint will dominate conversation, while those who do not remain quiet in fear of isolation.

-Noelle-Neumann, 1993

Research questions Research questions • RQ1: To what extent do pro-ED individuals think their eating

disorders and/or dieting habits were driven by mass media portrayals of the thin ideal?

• RQ2: To what extent do they think their eating disorders and/or dieting habits were driven by interpersonal pressure, online or offline?

• RQ3: To what extent do pro-ED individuals feel silenced by the taboo of being too thin? Is this why they created their blog?

• RQ4: To what extent do they see their blogging and online interactions as helpful and/or hurtful?

MethodologyMethodology• Snowball sampling technique

-stigma attached to sites sends bloggers into hiding

• Sample-Ten self-identified pro-ED bloggers, 19- to 23-years-old, who produce their own blog-Participants contacted via e-mail-Interviews conducted via telephone, and e-mail (when requested)

ResultsResults• RQ1: To what extent do pro-ED individuals think their eating disorders and/or dieting

habits were driven by mass media portrayals of the thin ideal?

– “Thinspiration”– TV/Lifetime– Magazines– Books

• RQ2: To what extent do pro-ED individuals think their eating disorders and/or dieting habits were driven by interpersonal pressure, online or offline?

– Mothers– Siblings

“These movies show that having an eating disorder is a bad thing. But…I watch those and they fuel me. [For example], I downloaded [the HBO documentary Thin]; I still watch it, [and] it

makes me want to lose more weight..”

-Alyssa

I sensed that [weight] was an issue for her even though she never discussed it with me…[she] has always been on a diet…She bought low-fat everything when I was growing up. We never had junk food or soda in the house. I internalized the attitude that sugar and fat

are bad. I would go over to a friends house and binge on the ‘forbidden foods’ I wasn’t allowed [to eat]. Now, I have the same feeling: Get as much as you can and eat it all, but

[later] feel guilty because it’s bad and you have to get rid of it [by purging]. -Alaina

Results, continuedResults, continued• RQ3: To what extent do pro-ED individuals feel silenced by the taboo of being too

thin in Western culture? Is this what prompted their creation of a blog?

– Isolation– Loneliness

• RQ4: To what extent do pro-ED individuals see their blogging and online interaction as helpful and/or hurtful?

– Hurtful: addictive, tipsdiscovered by family/family– Helpful: care, safety

“If we tell a friend [offline], we’re [considered] ‘freaks.’ They’ll look down on us or feel sorry for us. You tell a doctor, and he shakes his head, thinks you’re an idiot. Tell a family member, it’s the same thing, but with some tears. We have no one we can [talk to offline]. I wouldn’t talk [to] anyone about an ED…Sometimes, [the urge to talk to someone] is so immense you

feel like your heart will explode.” -Lilly

“There is a whole bunch of bad advice going around; things that could really hurt you, such as tie a piece of floss to a lifesaver, swallow it, and pull it

back up [to induce vomiting]. That could slice your esophagus right open! I tried that before and never really [thought] about how very dangerous it

is...You know how they have those little bubblers in a fish tank? Those little clear tubes? I’ve tried to stick one of those down my throat [once to] suck

out the food from my stomach. I wouldn’t want to post that and give someone else that idea…

-Daisy

ConclusionsConclusions

• Threats of censorship and closing down sites

“Pro-ana sites force us to confront these preconceptions by forcing them into our faces…We should be glad of the insights that pro-ana sites offer us into the anorexic psyche. Not only do they allow non-sufferers a new perspective

on eating disorders, but they reveal signs of the delusions and hypocrisies that underlie accepted attitudes toward food and dieting. Perhaps it would be more

constructive to tackle our own preconceptions about weight before publicly condemning pro-ana sites…”

-Taylor, 2002, ¶ 28