Many pro-ana and pro-mia sites begin with a disclaimer stating that anorexia is a disease and they are not trying to give it to anyone. It is wild that they even do this, because I don't believe it subjects them to any less ridicule. They probably get more criticism actually for having a disclaimer that contradicts their site. Ok, many of them do admit that they have a disease, they just say they are not ready to get better, but the fact that they try and say they don't want to help people be anorexic is ridiculous. Half of these sites are full of tips on how to stave off hunger without consuming calories and how to fool your friends and family into believing that you eat. I recently discovered a site called "Ana's Underground Grotto," ||{1}|| that actually makes a distinction between two different kinds of anorexia. There is the involuntary kind or the eating disorder (ed) anorexia, which she admits is a disease. This people may follow the same practises as she does, but they have no self-control. These girls hate themselves as well.On the contrary, there is a group called "volitional anorectics" who voluntarily starve themselves, overexcercise and obsess about food and being thin. I actuall agree with 'Plagueangel' that some people become anorexic involuntarily and some make a conscious decision to. I think that bringing anorexia into the main stream culture through pro-ana websites has a lot to with it, because for the first time, girls are being directly recruited for the lifestyle. Once it takes over their life, though, I think volitional and ed-anorexics alike have the same damn disease. In support of volitional anorexia, PlagueAngel says that girl who practice it are bringing self-control back into American culture. She quotes Eleanor Roosevelt saying,"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." Shesays that unlike ED-anorectics, volitional anorectics live by this motto. I really think a person must have already lost control over their lives when the idea of obsessively controlling their own weight begins to make them feel better. Another bit of cynicism that I tend to agree with on this site, is where she says, "if the majority believes it, its probably wrong." There are many reasons that I believe this, and its not that hard to see why if you just take a look at the popular music these days and most obviously, the current political situation, but this girl sites as an example the food pyramid. First of all, I don't really think most people believe in the food pyramid... they certainly don't follow it or half this country wouldn't be ridiculously overweight! Secondly, the majority may usually be wrong, but I believe if something takes over your life and thoughts, destroys your health, takes away your ability to have children and will eventually kill you, it is probably not quite right either. good luck, plague angel!