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  • MONDAY FEBRUARY 21 2005 11:51 AM

The Secret Handshake is Two Fingers in the Back of the Throat

Submitted by anger_frog

Edited by SquidProQuo

Eating disorders and self-mutilation are serious and widespread diseases amongst the our generation, but now there is a disturbing trend that may be making matters even worse among young women: an online secret society of anorexics and bulimics.

They look like any bracelet you might buy at the mall. You probably wouldn't even notice if your child started wearing one, but these are not just any bracelet. They are a sign of membership in a disturbing world of underground Web sites, which connect people who share a dangerous passion.

The bracelets sport names like "Ana" and "Mia", which are codenames to identify that the wearer is anorexic or bulimic respectively. Purple bracelets are the mark of cutters and self-mutilators.

Bracelets sell for about $20 on a web site called www.bluedragonfly.org and if you spot your child wearing one, you may have no idea what it means.
The Web site features pictures of emaciated women. They call it "Thinspiration." They are pictures designed to inspire girls to lose more weight.
Girls that Local 4 spoke to said the anorexia bracelets are more than a secret sign of membership. They use them to motivate themselves not to eat.

It is bad enough that we live in such an image-obsessed society which encourages young girls to slowly kill themselves, but now some sleazy asshole has decided to up the body count in order to hock over-priced plastic bracelets. Let's all cross our fingers and hope really hard that Hell exists.

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Comments
crispy

crispy

NEWSWIRE

Philadelphia, PA

FEB 21, 2005 11:58 AM

What the fuck? whatever

slowtostanding

slowtostanding

Richmond, VA
September 2003

FEB 21, 2005 12:01 PM

this makes me want to throw up.

but not in the bulimic way.

in the holy shit that is terrifying way.

xXRoninXx

xXRoninXx

I'm lost
July 2004

FEB 21, 2005 12:02 PM

Wow, only halfway through the decade and already it's a tight race for the "most evil, greedy bastard" award. I think this guy (or gal) is up for a supporting role.

As an obvious side note, it's just another disturbing example of what people can justify when nobody says anything.

Cigarette

Cigarette

Cleveland, OH
April 2004

FEB 21, 2005 12:03 PM

Are these the same people that were behind sex bracelets?

Jstone

jstone

Victoria, BC
November 2004

FEB 21, 2005 12:03 PM

I fucking hate this world sometimes.

alkalinenerd

alkalinenerd

Santa Cruz, CA
September 2004

FEB 21, 2005 12:04 PM

thats.. seriously fucked up

Tony_Montana

Tony_Montana

Victoria, BC
February 2004

FEB 21, 2005 12:07 PM

Those girls are crazy, I don't understand how they think looking like a skeleton will make them more attractive.

Keith

Keith

Oklahoma City, OK
August 2002

FEB 21, 2005 12:09 PM

...and when they got home, there was a hook-hand hanging from the door handle!

visionfromacrash

visionfromacrash

Columbus, OH
October 2004

FEB 21, 2005 12:12 PM

Glorifying self-injury is just fucking wrong.

JoshXXX

JoshXXX

Northborough, MA
March 2004

FEB 21, 2005 12:17 PM

Guess my Lance Armstrong ball cancer bracelet takes on a whole new meaning now.

irishinch

irishinch

Forestdale, MA
August 2003

FEB 21, 2005 12:17 PM

http://www.bluedragonfly.org/

thats one of these "pro anorexia" sites, read the "mission statement"

EL SUICIDO LOCO

hell

hell

Austin, TX
February 2003

FEB 21, 2005 12:19 PM

Wow, this is OLD news.
Man, SG members are really slacking when keeping up with their news.

Link to BoingBoing.net article. Dated August 10, 2004.

SocietysPliers

SocietysPliers

Ocala, FL
October 2004

FEB 21, 2005 12:22 PM

I was told by a recovering bulimic that it was a support group - but upon checking out the site it doesn't sound like many of them are in recovery. As the uncle of a recovering anorexic and ex of a recovering bulimic, and father figure of a teenage girl this is deeply disturbing. mad

SusannahJoy

SusannahJoy

HOPEFUL

Bakersfield, CA

FEB 21, 2005 12:23 PM

that site has been arond for YEARS. lets have some news that's actually recent.

TheG

TheG

Somerville, MA
February 2004

FEB 21, 2005 12:23 PM

This is really weird. You all should really check out their website. When I first read this story I was really disgusted and pissed about it, but then I went to the website to see what it's all about and now I'm just fucking confused. Really, really weird man... surreal

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