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Loughborough academic puts spotlight on pro-anorexia in cyberspace

Posted on 27/12/2008

Loughborough University Website

Loughborough academic puts spotlight on pro-anorexia in cyberspace

In the same month British MPs have called for social networking websites to do more to monitor pro-anorexia groups a Loughborough University academic has published a book that investigates the subject in depth.

The Medicalization of Cyberspace, co-written by Loughborough’s Dr Emma Rich and Andy Miah of the University of the West of Scotland, is the first ever book to explore the relationship between digital culture and medical sociology and investigate the culture of pro-anorexia groups on the internet.

The authors have researched the online pro-ana movement in depth and have criticised recent calls to remove such groups from the internet, explaining such moves would isolate sufferers further.

“While we have no wish to promote eating disorders, we must be cautious not to respond to pro-ana sites as wholly dangerous,” said Dr Rich. “Calling for the removal of pro-ana spaces from Facebook will only obscure such communities even further.

“As things stand, anyone can join these groups and the identities of users is much clearer than it is for other web spaces. If medics are concerned about the users within these communities, they stand a much better chance of offering support than they will by these groups existing in a lower profile webspace.”

Dr Rich adds that the assumption such sites encourage eating disorders is misled and that many sites appear in response to a unfulfilled need for support.

“It would be naïve to assume that people, especially young women, can be swayed into anorexia through social networking sites like Facebook,” she said. “All this does is further pathologise those experiencing the condition. If nothing else, these sites emerge from the desperate need for understanding and social support that these people seek.”