Pro-Ana & Pro-Mia Content: What It Is & How It’s Dangerous

What Is Pro-Ana & Pro-Mia?

Pro-anorexia (pro-ana) and pro-bulimia (pro-mia) are slang terms used to describe digital content that promotes behaviors associated with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Unlike recovery-based materials, pro-ana and pro-mia content glamorizes the eating disorder lifestyle rather than viewing eating disorders as serious mental health disorders. It may consist of harmful tips about extreme dieting, laxative abuse, and compulsive exercise. It can also involve poetry, essays, and photos that praise excessively thin bodies, often labeled as “thinspo.”²

Pro-ana content may consist of:³

• Dangerous tips for coping with hunger
• Contents of near-starvation daily meal plans
• Images of celebrities or other influencers who have their “ideal bodies” according to societal standards
• Tips for other weight-loss strategies (diet pills, laxatives, drugs, vomiting)
• Suggestions for hiding or downplaying unhealthy behaviors from others
• Descriptions of other mental health concerns like self-harm or suicidal ideation

Pro-ana and pro-mia content can be found on personal blogs, social media platforms, and other online communities such as Reddit. In some cases, individuals specifically label the content as “triggering” to warn potential users about what to expect. While the exact number of pro-ana and pro-mia resources is unknown, hundreds of sites may fall within this category.

Some platforms work hard to remove triggering hashtags or redirect users to specific resources; however, the more the platforms try to crack down on pro-ana content, the more creative users become in circumventing the rules. For example, Instagram banned the hashtag “thinspiration”, so pro-ana and pro-mia content creators began to use the hashtag “thynspiration.”

Why Is Pro-Ana & Pro-Mia So Dangerous?

Pro-ana and pro-mia content are incredibly dangerous for many reasons. The content is intended to trigger or exacerbate problematic eating disorder behaviors by creating unhealthy body comparisons, providing tips for eating disorder behaviors, as well as creating a community of people who can “keep each other accountable” in calorie restricting, exercising, or otherwise engaging in disordered behavior.

Additionally, individuals with eating disorders are often very lonely, and pro-ana and pro-mia social media provide a sense of belonging and kinship, and they may find it within these toxic communities. It can also teach people how to hide their eating disorder from loved ones or lie to their treatment team about their progress. Pro-ana can also promote other self-harm behaviors or suicide by glamorizing other forms of emotional distress.

Why Do People Seek Out Pro-Ana & Pro-Mia Communities?

People who engage with pro-ana and pro-mia content may find a sense of acceptance and understanding they don’t find in other spaces. Engaging with these communities can be an attempt to cope with underlying emotional distress. The rituals and behaviors encouraged by this content can provide a way for people to exert control over their bodies, which may provide temporary relief from emotional pain.⁴

Why Do People Create Pro-Ana & Pro-Mia Content?

People who create pro-ana and pro-mia content may be seeking validation and acceptance from others who share their views. The feedback and support they receive are empowering and allow them to justify their unhealthy behaviors. These harmful platforms provide a sense of community for people who may be struggling in shame and secrecy.⁴

What to Do If Your Child Is Consuming Pro-Ana or Pro-Mia Content

Discovering that your child is consuming pro-ana or pro-mia content can be deeply alarming for parents. Encourage open, non-judgmental conversations about the content while offering compassion. Talk to your child about the dangers of such content, and try to listen to their thoughts on it in a non-judgemental manner. Additionally, reach out to your child’s general practitioner or a therapist who specializes in eating disorders in children for advice on the next steps to take.

Here are seven tips for what to do if your child is consuming pro-ana or pro-mia content:

1. Create an Open Dialogue

It’s important to establish an open and understanding dialogue where your child feels safe expressing their thoughts without judgment or consequences. Explain to your child the harm of pro-ana and pro-mia content. Focus on the potential impact on mental and physical health. As important as it is to explain to them the dangers, it is equally important to focus on listening to them without making them feel shame or guilt.

2. Seek Professional Help

If your child is watching pro-ana or pro-mia content, a mental health professional who specializes in eating disorders can help both of you. A therapist or counselor can help you communicate with your child in a healthy manner, as well as help you decide what boundaries to set.

A mental health professional can help your child identify deeper issues related to body image, self-esteem, or eating disorders that result in them consuming pro-ana or pro-mia content and provide alternative coping skills for eating disorder behaviors. Additionally, they can provide a referral if a higher level of care is needed, such as residential or hospitalization for eating disorders.

3. Monitor Internet Use

Keep an eye on your child’s online activity and set healthy boundaries around internet use. You might want to set guidelines such as using the internet in a shared family space or reviewing your child’s internet history together. One thing you don’t want to do is spy on them or violate their privacy, this will work better if it’s open and transparent.

Here are some ways to monitor your child’s internet usage in a healthy manner:

• Establish open communication about what they are engaging in online
• Stay informed about the latest trends and platforms in social media, and follow your child’s accounts
• Establish a culture of open communication and sharing in your family when it comes to social media and internet use
• Use parental control apps if needed to monitor and limit internet use
• Have your child do a daily review of what’s happening in their social media accounts

4. Model Healthy Body Image

The things you say about yourself model body image, self-esteem, and self-talk for your child. Avoid talking badly about your own body, your weight, or anyone else’s. Provide your child with examples of body positivity and acceptance by doing one body positive affirmation a day or by giving and receiving compliments that do not relate to a person’s body at all.

5. Build Self-Esteem

Children with low self-esteem are especially vulnerable to pro-ana and pro-mia content. Help your child explore different activities that make them good about themselves beyond their physical appearance. Encourage them to try new things and embrace their strengths and uniqueness.

6. Surround Them With Healthy People

Children are sensitive to the environments around them. Protect them from relatives and friends who talk about dieting and body image in harmful ways. Instead, surround them with people who are interested in other things, such as art or science – whatever your child is passionate about.

7. Help Them Connect With Friends

Pro-ana and pro-mia content can be a way for children to connect with others. Provide them with healthier ways to connect with peers by enrolling them in hobbies they express interest in, inviting over friends for playdates or driving them to after-school activities. Providing them with healthy ways to make friends will make the community that pro-ana and pro-mia content offers less appealing.

When to Get Help for Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are often insidious and notoriously difficult to treat. You may experience immense shame and fear the possibility of recovery and weight gain, making intervention more difficult. It is important to remember that eating disorders are treatable, and choosing to get treatment is the bravest thing you can do for your future healthy self.

Eating disorders often worsen progressively, so early treatment and therapy for an eating disorder can make a tremendous difference in aiding recovery.

As a first step, if you are already meeting with a therapist, it’s beneficial to discuss any problematic behaviors with them directly. Even if this disclosure feels scary, it’s their job to listen and support you.

As a first step, you should also contact your primary care physician (PCP) for a medical evaluation. Eating disorders can impact every part of the body, so your doctor can review your symptoms, provide an accurate diagnosis, and discuss the best treatment options.

To find a therapist, you can ask your doctor for a referral. Alternatively, you can use a local therapist directory to search for a mental health professional who specializes in therapy for an eating disorder. Effective eating disorder treatment tends to be multidisciplinary. Your treatment team may consist of various professionals, including a PCP, therapist, registered dietitian, case manager, and psychiatrist.

Here are things to look for in a therapist:

• Has experience and specialty in working with eating disorders
• Understands working within a multidisciplinary framework
• Embraces concepts rooted in body positivity and anti-diet culture
• Helps you feel safe, supported, and understood
• Recognizes how eating disorders affect the entire family unit (especially if you are an adolescent or teenager)