Thinspiration?

Anger is not even a sufficient word for what I feel when viewing these pages. Disgust, horror, sadness, and shock are better fits. Prettythin.com and other related sites campaign for "thinspiration" - meaning they portray "pretty" girls who are in reality, disgustingly and dangerously skinny. The tagline for PrettyThin.com is "thinspiration for those in need". The first link to promoting extreme diets and eating disorders quotes a Radiohead song (completely out of context):

I don't care if it hurts,
I want to have control.
I want a perfect body,
I want a perfect soul.
I want you to notice,
when I'm not around.
You're so fucking special,
I wish I was special.

Every advertisement includes dieting tips and "ways to be beautiful". There are pages and pages of women the site creators promote as "beautiful", when in reality they are in physical danger.


Under the "beautiful" tab, they give advice on how to stay beautiful and skinny, and how to be anorexic. These are direct quotes:

"At a certain weight, which is different for everyone, you will lose your period. This is a good thing because it means that you’re losing weight. Still, it would be wise if you’d take calcium supplements, if you don’t already. Don’t let your mother find out about your lost period because she will most likely take you to the doctor. Never under any circumstances tell a doctor that you’ve lost your period. They will have you in an eating disorder clinic faster than you can say "What the hell?". Before you go to the doctor’s, make sure that you have a date to tell them in case they ask about your last period, and make sure the date is believable."

- Getting a pedicure is a good way to distract from eating and too make yourself feel prettier.

- Fasting is the loveliest sin,
Nirvana emerges from such
Sanctity comes when it's time to weigh in,
Though we know that we weigh far too much

Q. - Will I get too thin?

A. - Never!! Well just be careful like I said earlier. You don’t want to waste away. You want people to be jealous of you and how you look cause that is the biggest compliment.

I think this site needs no other commenting, as I'm sure those even near sanity can see how awful it is. It is sad that people truly believe in this ideal of beauty to the extreme that they will give advice on how "not to die but still look thin enough to". Who is to blame for this phenonmen? There is a whole underground realm out there of these pro-ana sites.

There are hundreds of sites out there promoting the message that yes, you should stop eating - that is the only way to be beautiful. Even worse, people eating it up (pun intended). Here is some comments by readers of these sites:

"I am also so jealous! I LOVE all the hipbones! Mine are finally starting to look that way, but nowhere near enough yet. And my ribs/spine are really showing, so that helps! I have lost 80 lbs in the past 6 mos. (I am a mom of 3 young kids... I adore them, but I need my body back!) and I am SO not done! I still have a few more to go until I hit my next goal. I am getting close to the double digits again, so at least I'm getting there. Thank you so much for these pictures! They will DEFinitely help me! Hopefully soon I will be skinny enough (will that EVER happen? lol) to be able to post some pictures that look as good as these!"

"Bones define who we really are, let them show. "

"Ask me to show you perfect and I will show you a thin person."

I understand freedom of speech, and I do not think these sites should be taken down, but I do truly believe anyone who believes in "thinspiration" should seek professional help. My goal for this blog is to show people what "beauty" should be defined as, the hypocracy of the media industry, and the influence of the media on people - sometimes with effects as extreme as eating disorders.

vs.