What does it mean? Pro-ana stands for pro-anorexia and pro-mia for pro-bulimia. The phrases are in reference to websites that advocate eating disorders as a lifestyle choice or encourage people to avoid treatment or gain ideas about how to maintain their disorder. According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, such websites have been in existence since the internet started, but they have grown significantly in recent years and are now available on social networking sites.
Another word used in this context is thinspo, an abbreviation of thinspiration, which refers to pictures of very thin women that some girls with eating disorders use as inspiration.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists has called for the government to do more to address the dangers of pro-eating disorder websites. It says that a significant number of teenage girls visit these sites, in particular those at high risk of eating disorders, as well as many young people who already have eating disorders. Nearly all report learning new weight loss techniques from these sites.
How to use it: Gain information from organisations such as the eating disorders charity Beat in case children or young people you work with raise the issue.
