Dying to Be Thin (Literally?)

Have you ever wished to be a victim of mental health? No? Well, some people wished it.

Many of you must have heard the term "Anorexia". To revise, it is a physiological obsession to have a weight zero. In another way, it is a disorder of mind and body. Now let's relate it to the term "Wannabe". Yes, that is right. Wannarexia defines as the effort of developing eating disorder literally - Anorexic Wannabe.

It sounds crazy, but it can be crazier than that. People actually support this movement, and nowadays many websites are motivating people to do a forceful anorexic lifestyle and make them believe that eating is a sin. “Thigh gap and collar bones” is one of many quotes that motivate them to keep going. Starting from a movement of “Pro-ana”.

Pro-ana was first started to positively support those who suffer Anorexia. It is to help them to not feel alone and let them share their feelings to each other and inspire.

“…the negative use of “pro-ana” and “thinspiration” content on social networking websites used to glamorize eating disorders negatively effects society…” – Gabrielle Parisi, 2013.

The problem is, websites like these are supposed to be made to support Anorexic people, not to inspire them to become one. But it is largely ignoring the entire group of people who are using this. Many adolescent girls are becoming the victim of it. They are still developing their mindset and this can push their self-esteem even lower. It is easy to access and getting inspired by images, motivations, quotes, etc. from websites and blogs. These websites encourage them to participate practices that are unsafe and lowers their sense of self and label them as Wannarexic. The focus is to crash diet in hopes to be anorexic, mainly on girls.

As this movement taken negatively, some people see this as an opportunity and actually made a business out of it. They provide services like coaching and training to keep the girls on track with their Anorexic diet. It is like a personal trainer at gym, but for creating Anorexic people.

Some of many websites that want to bring the true positive Pro-ana movement are screening the ones who will become part of the community. There is a large dispute that these girls are the ones giving the disease a bad name and the reason that these “pro-ana” websites become a negative community (Boero). Boero mentioned that pro-ana websites is picking out the Wannarexics by asking them questions, stats, posting pictures, and testing them – in hopes to keep away girls who want to take “Pro-ana” content and use it negatively. To better differs Anorexia and Wannarexia, people who are actually suffering Anorexia do not consciously choose to develop it. Anorexia Nervosa is not a disease that can be developed by surfing the web.

If this trend of Wannarexia continues to increase, the idea of beauty will be completely changed. Young girls will look to unhealthy and stick-like for inspiration instead of healthy and fit lifestyle. Anyone may develop this life threatening habits in order to be a “beauty” in their opinion though it is actually unrealistic and unnatural. 

Reference:
Wannarexia. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2017, from https://www.scribd.com/doc/186126188/wannarexia