“This is not pro-ana”: Denial and disguise in pro-anorexia online spaces

As a result of censorship by internet moderators and vilification by the mainstream media, users of “pro-ana” online spaces deploy creative devices in order to remain online. These range from coining obscure hashtags, such as “#thynspo,” to displaying disclaimers to deny that the space is pro-ana. In this article, I draw on empirical research collected across websites and social media to argue that through denial and disguise of pro-ana, the phenomenon is being normalized. Using theories of postfeminism and neoliberalism, I suggest that the boundaries between pro-ana and the everyday espousal of thinness are more blurred than ever.