CHARLOTTE, N.C.,None — Doctors are shining the light on a dangerous trend.
Experts said people are trying to become skinny at any cost. Some of them are relying on shocking websites that promote eating disorders and teach people how to become anorexic.
Experts said the dangerous trend is called "pro ana" which stands for "pro anorexia." There are also websites for "pro mia" or "pro bulimia." In short, "pro ana" and "pro mia" sites offer support for eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. Many of the websites offer tips for people to lose weight or significantly reduce their food and calorie intake. On some of the sites, people compete with each other at losing weight or fast together in a show of solidarity. Most often the sites show images of people who may be severely underweight.
Eyewitness News spoke to a local psychotherapist who said 95 percent of her patients suffer from eating disorders. Ann Kreindler-Siegel, a licensed clinical social worker, said she has seen firsthand the dangerous impact these websites have had on her clients.
"I know that a lot of the teenagers out there, a lot of the young adults out there are looking at them," Kreindler-Siegel said. "I do see evidence of some of the tricks and tips in some of the clients that I see."
Kreindler-Siegel said her eating disorder patients range from 9 to 65 years old, but a large number of them are males and females between the ages of 15 and 28 years old.
She said it is important for people suffering from eating disorders to seek help or other healthy resources. Kreindler-Siegel said the National Eating Disorder Association is one resource that people can turn to for help and treatment resources.
According to NEDA, the organization supports individuals and families affected by eating disorders, and serves as a catalyst for prevention, cures and access to quality care. For more information, click here.
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