Posted by zazenduckie on April 16, 2007, at 12:50:11
In reply to Surfing for thinness, posted by Dr. Bob on December 7, 2006, at 21:54:50
> Hi, everyone,
>
> Just wanted to pass this on. I think this site passes?
>
> BobHow do you figure that?
46 % of visitors to pro-recovery sites learned
new methods of acting out the disorderthe health outcomes of pro recovery and proana groups were the same
users of pro recovery sites were hospitalized more than non users
Proana groups were more destructive than pro recovery groups but that hardly amounts to an endorsement of prorecovery sites does it? Didn't using neither come out ahead of both? I am surprised at your interpretation of the survey but appreciate your input.
I also think there is a wide variety of eating disorder boards don't you? I wonder if they considered the "competitive" effects of posting BMIs and weights on boards which are nominally pro recovery? I also wonder if they considered the role of these boards in "recruiting" girls to the anorexic role. This would be less about learning "techniques" than adopting an identity as an ED person and learning to define herself and her behaviour in ways that gain the approval of the ED community.
I am not criticizing your board just making general observations.
>
> --
>
> Pediatrics. 2006 Dec;118(6):e1635-43. Related Articles, Links
>
> Surfing for thinness: a pilot study of pro-eating disorder Web site usage in adolescents with eating disorders.
>
> Wilson JL, Peebles R, Hardy KK, Litt IF.
>
> OBJECTIVE: Pro-eating disorder Web sites are communities of individuals who engage in disordered eating and use the Internet to discuss their activities. Pro-recovery sites, which are less numerous, express a recovery-oriented perspective. This pilot study investigated the awareness and usage of pro-eating disorder Web sites among adolescents with eating disorders and their parents and explored associations with health and quality of life. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 698 families of patients (aged 10-22 years) diagnosed with an eating disorder at Stanford between 1997 and 2004. Anonymous surveys were mailed and offered in clinic. Survey content included questions about disease severity, health outcomes, Web site usage, and parental knowledge of eating disorder Web site usage. RESULTS: Surveys were returned by 182 individuals: 76 patients and 106 parents. Parents frequently (52.8%) were aware of pro-eating disorder sites, but an equal number did not know whether their child visited these sites, and only 27.6% had discussed them with their child. Most (62.5%) parents, however, did not know about pro-recovery sites. Forty-one percent of patients visited pro-recovery sites, 35.5% visited pro-eating disorder sites, 25.0% visited both, and 48.7% visited neither. While visiting pro-eating disorder sites, 96.0% reported learning new weight loss or purging techniques. However, 46.4% of pro-recovery site visitors also learned new techniques. Pro-eating disorder site users did not differ from nonusers in health outcomes but reported spending less time on school or schoolwork and had a longer duration of illness. Users of both pro-eating disorder and pro-recovery sites were hospitalized more than users of neither site. CONCLUSIONS: Pro-eating disorder site usage was prevalent among adolescents with eating disorders, yet parents had little knowledge of this. Although use of these sites was not associated with other health outcomes, usage may have a negative impact on quality of life and result in adolescents' learning about and adopting disordered eating behaviors.
>
> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=17142493
poster:zazenduckie
thread:711309
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/eating/20061124/msgs/750302.html