title: [Eating disorders on the internet: an experimental study on the effects of pro-eating disorders websites and self-help websites].
abstract: Pro-eating disorders (ED) websites are assumed to have a negative impact on internet users because these sites promote ED as a lifestyle, and present an extreme thin ideal as well as extreme weight loss measures. We tested the impact of reading pro-ED contents in a sample of 421 women. The participants were randomly assigned to one of 3 conditions in which they were exposed to either a pro-ED blog, a self-help blog, or a neutral control blog. Post-exposure negative affect was higher in participants of the pro-ED and the self-help conditions compared to the neutral blog condition. Participants with an elevated risk for developing an ED had a lower appearance self esteem after exposure to the pro-ED, or the self-help blog. According to the study, a subgroup of high risk individuals might be affected by ED-related internet content. The implications of this study are discussed in the context of the ongoing controversy around pro-ED websites.
authors.affiliation: Forschungsstelle für Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Theis
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fiedler
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Backenstrass
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kordy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D057218:Blogging; D001828:Body Image; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008019:Life Style; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept; D012932:Social Facilitation; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted; D013851:Thinness / Q000523:psychology; D015431:Weight Loss; D055815:Young Adult