How to Lose Weight

Pro-Eating Disorder sites gain popularity

A growing number of chat rooms and web sites dedicated to promoting eating disorder behavior are on the rise. Teenagers can hide their on-line searching from their parents and Doctors, but the information on the Internet can be deadly.

"Parents and physicians need to realise that the Internet is essentially an unmonitored media forum," explained Rebecka Peebles, an eating disorder specialist at the Packard Children's adolescent medicine.

But "It's just not possible to completely control the content of an interactive site," she added.

Even those searching for recovery sites or other positive resources for anorexia, bulimia or compulsive overeating often stumble upon these dangerous sites.

And although search engines have made a small effort to ban these sites, they are still easily accessible.