Anorexia: Risks and Symptoms

Thinspirations websites, known as pro ana, glamorize the condition of anorexia, by posting diet tips, praising the "beauty" of bone thin girls and ridiculing fat people. the Thinspiration websites often picture well known celebrities, to provide inspiration to emulate them. A look at a random sampling of thinspirations showed Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Ritchie, Keira Knightley, Mary-Kate Olsen, Kate Bosworth, Ellen Pompeo, Allegra Versace, Victoria Beckham (Posh Spice), Angelina Jolie and Calista Flockhart.

Celebrities who were bashed for being too fat included Scarlett Johansson and Kate Moss. Lindsay "skinny "Lohan's Emaciation website even showed pictures of Nicole Ritchie and saying she needed to lose a few pounds.

There were pictures of anonymous girls, embarrassingly self absorbed as they took pictures of themselves in their mirrors. They posed in a variety pf positions, sometimes shooting full body shots, more often focusing on one section of their body.

There are two high profile anorexics, that have recently admitted being in treatment for the condition. Allegra Versace, heiress to Gianni Versace's fashion house had a statement issued abouit her condition in the past week. Olivia Newton- John's daughter, Chloe Lattanzi, spoke up about her disease in Australia's Woman's Day Magazine.

One of the most high profile anorexia deaths was in 1983, when Karen Carpenter, the husky voiced singer of "The Carpenters" succumbed to the disease.

According to Colonial and Research news published by Psychiatric News (pn.psychiatryonline.org), Anorexia is a serious illness with a high death rate. Starvation is not always the cause of death. "The mortality rate of anorexia subjects in the study was close to 12 times that you would see in a similar age and gender population", Dr Herzog told Psychiatric News. "So individuals continue to die from anorexia nervosa despite more information about is being available than in previous years. In other words, it continues to be a very serious illness."