Summary:
Pro-anorexia groups have for years been a controversial fixture, with users sharing extreme diet tips and posting pictures of emaciated girls under headlines such as "thininspiration." The emergence of these groups on social network sites like Facebook and MySpace has led to campaigners asking for a clamp down on pro-anorexia sites.
Allegations:
- Experts and eating disorders charities such a B-eat, say that the rise of the internet and the ease of access plays a significant part in providing information on how to get thin.
- In the past, it had proven difficult to shut down pro-anorexia groups but the situation was slightly different for sites such as Facebook. Dr Ty Glover, consultant psychiatrist at the Eating Disorders Unit at Cheadle Royal Hospital said, "Social networking sites can censor their material and we expect them to act responsibly."
Defence:
- The networking sites said that it was hard to distinguish between support groups and "pro-anorexia" groups.
- A Facebook spokesperson stated that "Many Facebook groups relate to controversial topics; this alone is not a reason to disable a group. In cases where content is reported and found to violate the site's terms of use, Facebook will remove it."