“Pro-Ana” blogs are blogs that people who support anorexia create to influence other people to experience their world. In these blogs, there is usually a section called “20 Reasons To Stop Eating” or “How To Avoid Hunger.” Abby Scott, Max Martinez and Kira Lienhard reacted to the extreme contents of these blogs.

https://www.yogilateral.com/blog-1/ana-do-you-love-me-now

https://proanamiadiary.weebly.com/

https://foreverandalwaysproana.wordpress.com/

Q: Do you know anything about Pro-Ana blogs?

AS: No.

KL: No.

MM: No.

Q: Now I will read you some quotes taken from these blogs. What do you think when I say, “Put a hair tie around your wrist and snap it to hurt yourself if you want to eat”?

AS: So far it sounds like something you definitely should not do.

KL: I think that is horrible. I do not think that people should hurt themselves in that way. We live in a society where people look at models; they are really skinny, but that is not reality.

MM: You should not do it, because when you are hungry you eat to give yourself energy.

Q: “If you start feeling hungry, punch very hard on your stomach. You will not feel hungry anymore after a while.” How does this statement make you feel?

AS: It is terrible. People should not have to hurt themselves in order to not eat. Why do these blogs exist?

KL: I just think it is not worth it to hurt yourself.

MM: This sounds like punishing yourself. Again, you need energy to go through the day.

Q: “Do not eat more than one cup of food. Your stomach would get bigger and then you would feel hungrier.” How do you react to this statement?

AS: That is scientifically proven, but you still should not starve yourself.

KL: Not eating at first might make you look skinny. However a healthy diet will make you look healthy inside and out.

MM: Everyone is different sizes with different needs so you should get the amount of calories that your body specifically needs.

Q: “When you eat, do it naked in front of a mirror. It will draw attention to your body and make you not want to eat.” What is your opinion about something so extreme?

AS: Why is it such a problem with American teenagers? It is very sad how society is shaping our views about ourselves.

KL: I do not understand how people could blog this; they do not know how they could potentially brainwash young girls.

MM: It is shocking that people actually go to that extreme to think about not eating.

Q: “Weigh yourself before and after eating. It will make you want to stop eating so that the numbers on the scale will not grow.” How do you feel about this statement?

AS: I do not really know what to say about that. It is less extreme than the others, but it is still horrible. We need to have certain nutrients in our bodies to keep going and if we weigh ourselves before and after there is no reason why we should eat anyway.

KL: The number on the scale do not mean anything. People are built differently depending on the genes that they inherit from their family.

MM: You can easily lose that weight through exercise without having to starve yourself.

Q: “If you take a bath in freezing water for about 15 to 30 minutes, your body temperature will extremely decrease. You will burn about 200 calories as your body tries to warm back up.” Do you agree with this method of losing weight?

AS: Sincerely, it is so nutritionally unhealthy to lose weight in that way.

KL: If people are willing to do this for 30 minutes, why don’t they work out for 30 minutes instead?

MM: There are better ways to lose this weight through natural methods.