Chow time

It's lunch time, your starving, you skipped breakfast to get to work. Now you can finally bite into that sandwich. Your waiting in line, and look at the small piece of paper in you hand. A large 42 stares back at you, as you hear from across the counter, "number 40". Your only 2 insignificant people away from that glorious lunch. Its finally your number, and you pick up and stare at your beautiful sandwich. It's a perfect pieces of bacon and ham, with a wonderful melted piece of cheese,balanced with cold pieces of crunchy lettuce and tomatoes, and all of it between a pair wonderfully toasted piece of bread. The first bite is magical. The ingredients blend together to perfection, and nothing can tear you away from your lunch. Most people have felt this before, the perfect meal. It's a rare occurrence, but when it does, it's magical. But, there are people that have never experienced the amazing meal before, in fact for them the slightest thought of having that sandwich that even made me hungry, would make them disgusted instead.

Anorexia is a serious life threatening problem. To intentionally starve yourself, in order to fit a social image. It is common to think that everyone would be against such a horrible act, but that is a false statement. There are groups that choose anorexia as a lifestyle. A group of people called pro-ana who create communities based around anorexia. They try and support each other and accept their anorexia, but anorexia isn't something that should be accepted. It should be actively rejected, it should be treated and opposed instead of accepted.
By accepting anorexia, it creates an image that not eating for days is a plausible lifestyle. As Claire stated in the Envision text, "you do drugs, you die; be anorexic, and you're ganna die in a year.' I knew that they kind of overplayed it and tried to frighten you away. So I always thought it can't be that bad for you." (273). Claire eventually continued to become a member of a pro-ana community. As the community grows, people will continue to underestimate the severity of anorexia, and people like Claire will continue to expand the pro-ana motion. A vicious cycle that promotes anorexia and the death of young women everywhere.

On the flip side
Pro-ana communities doesn't directly promote anorexia. In fact they are trying to minimize anorexia by taking a passive stance. By learning about the root of the problem and solving the cause of the individuals anorexia instead of the anorexia itself. This could have a higher success rate because it decreases relapse. By having a close supportive community, the suicide rate would be lower than communities of larger size.
Pro-ana is about helping those who are past the point of no return to cope with the disease. Anorexia is not something that can easily be contracted or suppressed, but the group can help them feel better about themselves and the way they live.