Cornell University Research Examines Participation at Pro-Anorexia Websites

CornellLogoNatalie Bazarova, an assistant professor of communication at Cornell University, and Pamara Chang, a Ph.D. candidate in the communications department, have authored a new study on women who become active participants at websites that tend to glorify anorexia nervosa. Their study, “Managing Stigma: Disclosure-Response Communication Patterns at Pro-Anorexic Websites,” is scheduled for publication in an upcoming issue of the journal Health Communications.

The authors note that more than one half of individuals who have anorexia have visited pro-anorexia websites. “It’s a unique type of social support that is surprisingly popular,” says Chang. She notes that visitors to these websites are often “ostracized for not being extreme enough. Sometimes they are called ‘wanna-rexics’ and these negative responses feed their need to maintain or even increase anorectic tendencies like starvation and extreme exercise.”

The authors collected and analyzed posts made on pro-anorexic websites over the course of a year. The authors state that they “wanted to see the type of feedback people get when they divulge their problems and how this feedback effects them.” They found what they called “a continuous stream of negativity.”

As a result of the research, Chang suggests that “it’s important to understand the needs these individuals have and the support they seek so that we can come up with a more nuanced, rather than prescriptive, approach to intervention and recovery.”

Related Articles

Latest News

Data Shows High Attrition Rates for Women in STEM Degree Programs

For women who began their four-year college career in a STEM discipline, 14 percent dropped out of college and 32 percent switched to a non-STEM major before earning their degree.

Monique Guillory Named Ninth President of Dillard University

Dr. Guillory has served as Dillard University's interim president for the past seven months. Her background includes over three decades of higher education administration experience.

Lynne Coy-Organ Is the First Woman President of Husson University

Lynne Coy-Organ has been named the first woman president of Husson University in Maine. She has served as the university's provost and senior vice president for academic affairs for the past 15 years.

Donna Hedgepath Will Be the First Woman President of Wayland Baptist University

Current provost of Campbellsville University in Kentucky, Donna Hedgepath, has been named president of Wayland Baptist University in Texas, making her the first woman to be selected for the position.

Three Women Scholars Appointed to Provost Positions

The new provosts are Elizabeth Dumont at the University of California, Merced, Marguerite Giguette at Xavier University in New Orleans, and Margaret Brown Marsden at Midwestern State University in Texas.

MOSDOH – Dean of the Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health

The dean serves as the chief academic and administrative officer for MOSDOH, leading a mission-driven dental school known for innovation, community partnerships, and service to the underserved.

Vice President for Administrative Services and Chief Financial Officer

The successful candidate will have a strong financial and administrative background and demonstrated ability to excel in a fast-paced, dynamic and complex community college that values integrity, excellence, empowerment, inclusiveness, collaboration and stewardship.

Instructional Professor in Law, Letters, and Society (Open Rank)

The Social Sciences Collegiate Division at the University of Chicago is now accepting applications for a full-time Instructional Professor who will teach in the program in Law, Letters, and Society.

Instructor, Economics

The Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics at the University of Chicago invites applications for tenure-track faculty positions in Economics at the Instructor position level to begin in the 2025-26 academic year and is renewable for up to three years.

Vice Chancellor for Student Success

The Vice Chancellor for Student Success will be a strategic, student-centered, data-informed, systems thinker who thrives in a fast paced, high-achieving environment.