According to the National Institute of Mental Health, an estimated 5 million Americans suffer from eating disorders.
And many have found a home on the Internet.
Numbers of men and women fallen prey to these illnesses log onto Web sites that act as support systems in their efforts to remain thin.
With message boards that feature comments such as "I love the feeling I get when I can feel my bones sticking out. I love feeling empty," to pro-thin quotes dubbed "Thinspirations," the Web sites contain visitors' journals, dieting tips and competitions to see who can lose the most weight.
According to Ball State Counseling and Psychological Services representative Kim Gorman, these Web sites are not the only ones of their kind to make an appearance.
"It's not just anorexia promotional Web sites that are are cropping up, but also sites that promote other forms of self-destructive behavior such as suicide," Gorman said. "These sites are incredibly damaging.
"These people are obviously in dire need of support, and the type of support they're getting here is definitely the wrong kind."
Experts estimate one in four college women have some sort of eating disorder, and Gorman said bulimia is much more common among college-aged women than in any other demographic group.
"Another problem we seem to find on college campuses is women who become involved in the 'shared secrets' phenomenon," Gorman said. "Girls will share with their friends what has worked for them in losing weight, and so this environment can become a breeding ground for these illnesses."
Drastically more disturbing than the gaunt women found in magazine advertisements are the photos of emaciated individuals on the more than 400 pro-anorexia Web sites, Gorman said.
"These sites are supporting statements from girls that post messages like 'I feel so fat today,'" Gorman said. "No one is monitoring them, so unsupportive information is being leaked to these people who are desperate for help."
In recent months, national attention was brought to the sites. Gorman said many search engines are beginning to cut off access to their content.
According to a recent article published in TIME magazine, The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders requested that the popular search engine Yahoo! remove pro-anorexia sites from its server.
By July 30,2001, Yahoo! removed an estimated 115 sites. With such an increase in removal efforts, the Web sites have become increasingly more difficult to access.
The Web sites advocating eating disorders, many with names such as "Thin Obsession" and "Nothing Tastes and Feels as Good as Thin Feels," argue that anorexia and bulimia are chosen lifestyles.
Gorman adamantly disagrees.
"These men and women who say there's a choice in the matter have obviously never tried to get out of such a cycle," she said. "An eating disorder is a living hell to have."
Gorman said making the assumption that an eating disorder is a personal choice on the part of women is like saying women chose to be raped.
"It frustrates me because we blame the victim when really all they want is to have some attention," Gorman said. "We have a culture that perpetuates this stereotype of thin women, and I blame society for the results."
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