'Dying to be Annorexic' SBS - on now (13/11 11pm)

[milkyway]

This is a documentary about 'pro anas'. Wow, this is eye opening!

Katie and Lavinia say that anorexia is a lifestyle, not a disease. They are part of the pro-anorexic world, known as "pro-ana" and they reject the idea of eating disorders, and choose to celebrate them as a lifestyle choice instead. The program looks at the underground network of pro-anorexic websites which encourage people to raise their condition to an almost cult-like status. It tackles head-on the extreme lifestyle of people with eating disorders and what motivates younger people who choose to live their lives in this way. This disease rules their lives with an iron grip and it can be deadly. Katie has attempted suicide twice and tries to live on 200 calories a day. Lavinia has attempted to cut her own breasts off in order to lose weight.

[electrongirl]

sometimes I really hate the world we live in.

what sickens me about these people is that they are striving to look like POW's from World War 2 or starving Ethiopians. People who would give anything to eat a proper meal.

[Playboy_bunny]

my cousin is pro ana We've tried so hard to help her, but she wont take the help She is 17 and weighs 34kgs...its so sad

[Chelle]

It's so sad, to see people like that.

[Juddy]

I'm not sure entirely what causes it. But I think it is easy for people (specifically those who are trying to lose weight because they're overweight) to slip into a mindset after making certain progress with their weight-loss.

I've seen posts from atleast one or two people where they've said that they look in the mirror and see themselves the same as they were when they were fat - but the scales say something has changed!

I believe that this has to do with constant monitoring of your weight and looking at yourself in the mirror... I'm totally 100% guilty of this... I walk passed mirrors and stop for a moment, to see how I'm doing... "Well guess what Tom, it's hardly any different to a couple of hours ago when you last looked at yourself in the mirror!"

I think my pursuit is justified because I honestly see that certain areas have too much fat, while others are fine... since there isn't really a way to lose fat in a particular place and not another - overall weight loss here we come!

I think these anorexic people are an extreme example of ourselves. We criticise ourselves to the point that we see a side that others do not. I've had friends of mine ask me to show them "my six pack"... I DON'T have a six pack! I wish I did, but these people obviously seemed to think I did because they saw a side of me that I don't see...

Anyway, enough rambling from me.

[kate_turner2000]

thats really sad. i guess it goes to show that we all have our insecurities about our bodies no matter what shape censored or form we are in. its just hard to instill whats healthy and unhealthy to people who wont/cant listen.

hey nikki my pop was POW, he escaped twice. just a bit of trivia for ya hehe

[Fiona25]

I think this is so sad.

I suffered from a form of anorexia when I was 13. I was almost fully grown height wise, at approx 160cm and was around 30-32kgs. I was NOT happy even though there was very little of me, I still thought I was fat and just felt so unhappy in my life.

I would eat nothing until dinner time and even then I would only have 3 mouthfuls and that was it for me, as well as 1hr minimum exercise a day.

My parents got me therapy and I started to get better. Then when I was 14 I had a relapse and was back down to 34 or so kgs. I got better again.

I had spurts of bulimia in my teens, but when I was in my late 18's to early 20's I was badly bulimic. I would skip breakfast, stuff my face with everything imaginable at lunch time, throw up at least 3-4 times then eat nothing for the rest of the day.

I am proud to say that since age 23 I have not purposefully thrown up (except for when really drunk and need to vomit) and I am now 25.

I have always hated my body, thought I looked gross, was fat and ugly etc.

Its honestly only been the last 2 years that I am mostly happy, and if I need to lose weight or tone up then I can do that in a healthy way. My husband is incredibly supportive though and tells me i'm beautiful every single day.

Sorry if this way off topic, but once I get typing I can't stop!!!

[Fiona25]

Just wanted to add in there that eating disorders aren't just about weight, a huge part of it is feeling as though you're in control.

Still now, out of habit, when my world is out of control I contemplate going bulimic again to feel like I have control of SOMETHING in my life. I have now learnt to tell my husband when I start having these thoughts and he helps me through it.

[HappyBella55]

A family friend (she and I grew up quite close) has been fighting anorexia for more than 13 years now. She developed anorexia at age 13 and is now 26. She is dying, she had heart failure last week and has had her organs fail on her. The number of times she's been in and out of treatment and it hasn't helped. She has given up all hope of living. She calls this disease her friend Ana. She cannot relinquish the control she attains. It's all about control.

She has literally waisted away, last I heard she was weighing in at 28kgs. The disease has taken its toll on her and her family. It's a selfish disease. I can't spend a lot of time with her. This is purely a selfish reason: she drains me of energy and when I do spend time with her I adopt her habits. It's scary. Earlier last year, she moved in with us as her parents and my parents thought she would do better with a change of environment that wasn't an institution. My parents had to ask her parents to take her back because every time I would eat, I started feeling repulsed with my self and adopted anorexic tendencies.

Here are some horrible statistics: 1% of adolescent girls develop anorexia. Out of those 1%, 10% of them die from the disease

This is not a lifestyle choice. Its a copout. They have the choice to LIVE or to DIE. That's the saddest thing - its the control and satisfaction they get from that control that they can't relinquish