There is much public concern over individuals, particularly young girls, visiting websites, chat rooms and message boards in hopes of learning how to 'become' anorexic. The simple truth is, it won't work. They can and often do mimic disordered eating behaviours in order to lose weight but this, in and of itself, does not constitute an eating disorder.
This is not to say, however, that we should not be concerned about this type of behaviour On the contrary. With or without the presence of an eating disorder, engaging in disordered eating behaviour can cause serious damage to the health of the individual. For a more in-depth discussion on the difference between disordered eating and eating disorders click here.