Introduction. Pro-Ana is a philosophy, which treats anorexia as a consciously adopted lifestyle rather than a mental disorder with a high mortality rate. Aim. The aim of this study was to present the characteristics of the pro-ana philosophy as a lifestyle. Material and methods. A research tool used in this study was an author-made questionnaire, which was distributed to the authors of pro-ana internet blogs. 194 people, aged 12-30, participated in the study, including 190 women and 4 men. Results. The vast majority of the respondents (85,54%) admit that they reduce the amount of meals, and 17% never have breakfast or dinner. Nearly 40% of the participants count the calories of the eaten products every day. Almost all of the participants do intense exercise in order to lose weight (96,4%), and feel proud when they lose weight (97,94%). More than a half of the respondents (51,55%) induce vomiting after eating. Almost every third participant of the study (30,35%) is distressed at the thought that they are soon going to eat. Conclusions. Pro-ana philosophy strongly affects young people. It promotes an irrational and not healthy lifestyle. It leads to a formation of bad eating habits, which result in the excessive weight loss and health deterioration.

Key words: pro-ana, lifestyle, anorexia nervosa.