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Eating disorders have become a growing problem with teenage girls and young women. Whether it is anorexia or bulimia, women
today are suffering more and more from these physically and emotionally devastating diseases. What I know about eating disorders
comes from having friends that have suffered from anorexia. I used to think that it was something you could control but it's
not. It really is a disease that must be cured with medication, therapy, and counseling. With this growing epidemic and the
increase of internet technology, a new phenomenon of pro-anorexia websites has evolved. These websites provide young women
with the knowledge and encouragement to continue their life with an eating disorder. The pro-anorexia websites are cult-like
and impressionable young girls have a difficult time escaping them once they have been drawn in.
Many of the students in high school and college know of someone that is or has suffered from an eating disorder. The more
these students are informed about the warning signs and consequences the more likely they are to get help for the people they
know suffering with an eating disorder.
Helpful Websites
This site is one of the top 5 best because it provides correct information about treatments, facts, doctor referrals, and
support groups. It also mentions what is "in the news" in regard to anorexia. It explains the Terri Schiavo case
and mentions new techniques such as the Maudsley Method for treating anorexia. This website refers itself as being the ANAD
(anorexia nervosa and associated disorders) Community, just as the pro-anorexia websites form a "community." They
provide chat rooms for those who suffer and family and friends. This organization is also non-profit.
This website is one of the best because it explains eating disorders and the terms involved on a very simplistic level. It
also has a strong focus on treatment options. It offers packages (which must be paid for) that go along with their programs
for creating positive self esteem, positive eating habits, and the dangers in dieting. This site also offers information in
Spanish which is a huge positive aspect. This site is best for family, friends, and those who are trying to help someone suffering
from an eating disorder.
This website provides accurate information on definitions, types of eating disorders, treatments, and current events regarding
eating disorders. The one down side to this website is that it is a .com so it was created to make a profit. The advertisements
that are on the website, however, are related to depression medications like Zoloft and treatment options. Although you do
have to read around the ads they are related to eating disorders and could potentially be helpful to overcoming an eating
disorder.
This website is really good because it provides insight from someone who has suffered from an eating disorder. The creator,
Melinda Hutchings, made this site in order to explain the mind set of a sufferer. This site provides accurate information
on warning signs, inspirational stories, other helpful sites, and recovery books. This is a helpful site geared toward those
who are currently suffering from a disorder. Sufferers are more likely to respond to a fellow previous sufferer than they
are to just a nation-wide organization.
This website is great for specific eating disorder situations such as eating disorders and pregnancy, children, athletes,
and males. It also gives father's advice on dealing with daughters who suffer. It also gives the "Thin Commandments,"
which explain the thought pattern of those with an eating disorder. The site also helps find treatment, doctors, and therapists.
The site is a .com so it is profit driven but the advertisements that are on the website are at the bottom so you don't have
to read around them and most of the ads are for treatment places such as Fairwinds, Oceanaire, and Monte Nido Residential
Center.
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