Should Pro-Anorexia Sites Be Criminalized?

Italy’s Parliament recently proposed a bill that would criminalize pro-anorexia site authors with a $67,000 fine and up to a year in jail. But health experts say this is a bad idea.

By Carrie Arnold
The Daily Beast
Originally published August 30, 2014

Here is an excerpt:

While Pinterest, Tumblr, and Instagram banned “thinspiration” photos on the basis that they were linked to self-harm, they continue to allow healthy living advice that isn’t necessarily so healthy, extreme diet and exercise hints, and so-called “fitspiration,” which some in the eating disorder community say is thinspiration disguised in workout clothes. Many of the slogans most closely associated with pro-anorexia rhetoric (“Nothing Tastes As Good As Skinny Feels”) are actually from commercial weight loss sites, as are many of the tips the sites share. Although some use pro-anorexia sites to “learn” how to be better at their eating disorder, many of these tips also exist in stories and television shows designed to teach people about the dangers of eating disorders.

The entire article is here.

Anorexic woman not to be force-fed, judge rules

BBC News UK
Originally published August 24, 2012

A High Court judge has ruled in favour of an NHS trust that force feeding would not be in the "best interests" of an anorexic woman.

Mrs Justice King, at the Court of Protection in London, heard that the 29-year-old woman, who weighs about 3st 2lb (20kg), does not wish to die.

She ruled "all reasonable steps" should be taken to gain the woman's co-operation, without "physical force".

Anorexia creates a fear of ingesting calories that stops a person eating.

The woman from the north of England, who cannot be identified for legal reasons and is referred to as L, has suffered from anorexia from the age of 12.

Since turning 14 she has spent 90% of her life as an in-patient.

The entire story is here.

Pro-anorexia websites pose public health challenge

Pro-Anorexia Websites Pose Public Health Challenge _ the Lancet

The Lancet published this article in the public domain.