Internet 'thinspiration'

Many members use these websites as cathartic spaces to talk through their problems and many theorists argue that these sites serve an important therapeutic function.

Through these websites I have been afforded rare insights into the experience of anorexia that I could never have acquired through reading books or medical journals. This is because anorexics are far more forthcoming and honest online due to the sense of anonymity and the perception that they are communicating with people who aren't intent on intervening. For so long, the anorexic voice has been stifled or reframed through the expertise of others, but online, we're provided with a unique opportunity to engage directly with that voice.

It's also important to note that many of the members are using these sites to escape the loneliness and isolation that comes with eating disorders. In fact suicide, not starvation, is the number one cause of death for eating disorder patients. Many claim that these websites provide social networking opportunities which enable them to connect with others and so feel less alone, and less likely to self-harm.

So rather than approaching these sites and their members through fear, ignorance and a desire to censor, perhaps we should engage with them in order to learn more about anorexia, which is, after all, still one of the most misunderstood and misconstrued conditions.