14 DAY TRIAL // The Spanish police alerted the public opinion regarding the increasing number of pro-anorexia Spanish web pages, as revealed by a recent survey. The study initially targeted about 150 websites, but other 250 such online properties were also discovered, according Spanish newspaper ABC. 95% of the owners of all websites are South Americans.
The sites, which include all sorts of methods for those who want to lose weight rapidly, from medicines, to strict diets and laxatives, are addressed to women between 12 and 28 years old. Most of the visitors are situated in the 14-25 category. As ABC states, 60% of them are in the first phase of the nutritional disease, being therefore the most susceptible to seriously embrace the unhealthy eating habits. 23% of the women who regularly visit the pro-anorexia web pages have already been dealing with eating disorders for a long time, while 17% of them admit that they were or still are under medical treatment.
As it was reported, most of the properties are very popular, having an average of visitors of 1.500-8.000, depending on the date when they were released. Considering the tender age of most of the users, their social impact could be devastating. While young women everywhere are influenced by the images of a perfect body that are advertised via all media channels, support groups that actually offer methods for becoming an anorexic are extremely dangerous.
The results of the study will be examined by the Attorney General's Department, which can initiate a legal procedure in order to stop the publishing of such content. Although the freedom of speech is an indefeasible right in any democratic country, when certain items of information threaten the health, security or even life of the consumers, some rules must be enforced. Given that the aforementioned websites offer advice on how the doctor or the family can be tricked into believing that everything is fine, little doubt about what needs to be done still remains.