Communicating thin: A grounded model of Online Negative Enabling Support Groups in the pro-anorexia movement

The pro-anorexia movement provides support for those with anorexia and adopts an ‘anti-recovery’ view of the disease.The internet has allowed pro-anorexia followers (proanas) to exchange messages in anonymous virtual communities where they encourage one another to be thin. Through the analysis of pro-ana websites using grounded theory, four themes encompassing eight communicative strategies were identified: 1) co-constructing an ana personal identity; 2) self-loathing ana; 3) advising ana; and, 4) group ana encouragement. An emergent grounded model explicates underlying theoretical principles that indicate a new type of social support group, the Online Negative Enabling Support Group (ONESG), in which members encourage negative or harmful behaviors, accept ‘self’ or ‘other’ negative messages without correction from others and co-construct an affectionate ‘enabling in-group’ that evolves online ‘weak-tie’ support into ‘strong ties’ used to combat stigma in their offline world.