1. Body images in popular culture Pro-anorexia we bsites
Thomas Wold
Norwgian University of Science and Technology

2. The image of your own body
The actual body
Experiences/personality
Inner dialogues/ self reflections
Emotions regarding body image
Self regulating strategies and behaviour

3. Body ideals
Culture
Media – articulates, reflects and affects values and ideals in contemporary society

4. Reception studies How audience interpret media and construct meaning
Frames of reference
Mental schemes

6. The body in media Age: Young Healthy Male as subject Women as object
The symbolic value: success and self control

7. TV sit coms and sopa operas
Female characters:
76 % are below the average weight
The body is in focus
Male characters
More variation in body appearances, but less overweight men than in genaral population
Camera focuses more on the face

8. TV series as lifestyle magazines
Gives ideas/inspiration on hair, styling, fashion.
Adresses issues concerning friendship, dating, relationship, heartache etc.
Depicts social consequenses of apperances, often with a patched on catch phrase that ”true beauty comes from within”.

9. Media effect on body image
Statistic correlation
– but what is cause and effect
Experimental studies
To watch very thin media characters increases negative feelings concerning their own body among women. (Halliwell & Dittner, 2008)

10. Study: Young In Norway Year: 1992, 1994, 1999 and 2005. N= 11 895
In short: Respondents were asked about their TV viewing habits, and feelings towards their own body.
Conclusion: For older female teenagers, entertainment TV has a small, negative effect on the image of their own body.

11. Reception analysis Thin as beautiful becomes a frame of reference
Interpretation of their own body
Comparing to what is perceived as normal

13. Pro-anorexia web sites
Take a positive stance towards anorexia
Web sites, blogs, discussion forums, chat rooms
Present it as a lifestyle rather than an illness
Advice on losing weight, hide it from parents etc.
Can also be a place for friendship, support and discusion of emotional matters

14. Uses of pro-ana pages Anorexia as a lifestyle Thinspiration
Tips on starvation
Creating an “in-group”: us against them
Emotional support
Dieting tips for non-anorexics (these are usually treated with some resentment and even hostility)

15. Lifestyle
- It's 6 pm here on the east coast, and I have a party to go to tonight, followed by 2 auditions tomorrow, and another party tomorrow night. Evenings are usually my gym-time, so without an outlet for my persistent anxiety, I feel like I'd rather control my food intake if I can't get a grip on my energy output.
To keep eyebrows from raising, I'm going to try to keep pushing the fluids, keeping a drink of some kind with me at all times, to give an illusion of intake. However, I will try to keep these calorie counts down as well. Mostly water, maybe a little bit of VitaminWater, a sip or two of soymilk for breakfast, and coke zero if I MUST have caffeination. But no food. Until at least midnight tomorrow (Monday night).
I'm already anticipating the high!! And looking forward to telling ya'll how it went. God, I hope I get away with this. Depending on how it goes, who knows what I might do after this?

16. Thinspiration
You will be fat if you eat today. Just put it off one more day.
Starving is an example of excellent will power.
An imperfect body reflects an imperfect person.
Who's fasting with me? 30 hours food-free! Let's do it! Think beautiful thoughts, girls! XOXO!

17. Tips on starvation
- I would like some tips on how to conceal weightloss for my parents. AND excuses for not eating.
12 year old girl on a pro-ana chat forum.

18. Us against them
There is nothing sick about this. If you don`t have ana og mia you will never understand us. These pages helps us keeping together.

19. Emotional support
I have one pro-ana site myself, and I must say, without it I would have been in a much worse condition than I am now. Why do I write here? Because I simply don`t have the energy to do anything else.
Pro-ana is a rock I can hold on to when life is too difficult. It is good to ”write away” the pain every once in a while og pro-ana forums.
The problem with pro-ana aret hese girls, who WANT to have eating disorders. The ruin pro-ana`s reputation. They abuse what it is meant to be: a support. Not to loose weight, but to do the daily life a little easier for each other.

20. Dieting tips for non-anorexics
Casual dieters
Often meet with hostility and referred to as wannabes or wannarexics.
If you aren't disordered but wish you were, fuck off, go count your blessings and eat a sandwich. Wannarexics will not be tolerated./////