Social Support Found by Those Visiting Eating Disorder Websites May Lead Untreated Cases

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to research the reason why many of those with eating disorders turn to Pro-Ana, Pro-Mia, and Pro-ED websites for support, as well as to discover whether these individuals may wait longer to receive treatment because of this support found through social networking. Pro-Ana, Pro-Mia, and Pro-ED websites are specifically targeted toward individuals who have eating disorders. Many use these websites to post images of their bodies and display how they have progressed over time with their eating disorder. They often search for advice on finding low-calorie foods and determining what exercises will burn off the most fat. It is a specific aim to see whether membership to such a site starts to establish suffering from an eating disorder a positive, superior behavior. My main questions being addressed in this paper are whether or not my study population feels more or less likely to seek help after visiting a Pro-Ana, Pro-Mia, or Pro-ED site and whether or not their emotional affect has been impacted. It is hypothesized that membership to such websites will lead members to prolong getting treatment and attain a more negative affect because they have found a niche or support system to feel this is a more normative issue. After 100 study participants were surveyed, it was found that Pro-Ana, Pro-Mia, or Pro-ED users were less likely to seek out treatment and more likely to have a negative affect after visiting “pro” websites.