College cheerleaders are at high risk for body image issues and eating disorders - and may be affected by how revealing their uniforms are, according to a study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine's 57th Annual Meeting in Baltimore.
Toni Torres-McGehee, Ph.D., ATC, studied 136 Division-I and Division-II college cheerleaders to determine if position (base, flyer, etc.) and clothing requirements (daily clothes vs. full or midriff uniforms) affected eating disorder incidence or body image dissatisfaction. Participants were surveyed for weight, height and perceived ideal weight.
Although position did not appear to be a factor, cheerleaders overall were highly disposed to eating disorders: 33.1 percent had some risk of eating disorder characteristics and/or behaviors. Cheerleaders on teams with midriff uniforms were most disposed to body-image issues.
"Maladaptive body image and eating behaviors can form during youth and last a lifetime," Torres-McGehee said. "Teams and coaches should consider the long-term effects of requiring cheerleaders to wear revealing uniforms simply for aesthetic reasons."
Participants were also asked about how they thought their coaches and parents perceived their body image, and appeared most concerned they weren't fitting their coaches' ideals for body composition.
"The point of collegiate cheerleading is to create camaraderie and team spirit and to keep girls active and healthy," Torres-McGehee said. "Cheer coaches should keep these ideals in mind and try to reinforce self-esteem among their team members."
The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 35,000 international, national and regional members and certified professionals are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine.
Showing posts with label athletics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label athletics. Show all posts
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
New Muscles and Pounds Boost an American Ice Dancer’s Outlook
An interesting article about weight and figure skating featuring U.S. ice dancer Tanith Belbin.
"As it turned out, Linichuk also ended up saving Belbin from a problem that has long plagued figure skaters: disordered eating. Often not as severe as eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia, disordered eating involves irregular eating habits that can be fueled by a distorted body image. Belbin said she had struggled with those issues since puberty.
"When she was 16 or 17, Belbin grew several inches and gained weight, which threw off her skating technique. As her body matured, she tried to fight it. As an ice dancer who wears tiny outfits and is often lifted by her partner, Belbin said that every extra pound seemed like 20."
"As it turned out, Linichuk also ended up saving Belbin from a problem that has long plagued figure skaters: disordered eating. Often not as severe as eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia, disordered eating involves irregular eating habits that can be fueled by a distorted body image. Belbin said she had struggled with those issues since puberty.
"When she was 16 or 17, Belbin grew several inches and gained weight, which threw off her skating technique. As her body matured, she tried to fight it. As an ice dancer who wears tiny outfits and is often lifted by her partner, Belbin said that every extra pound seemed like 20."
Friday, January 22, 2010
Jenny Kirk on Figure Skating's Eating Disorder Epidemic (Part I & II)
Both parts of National Chamption figure skater Jenny Kirk's interview with the Huffington Post are now online! Click the title above to view the interview.
"The National Championship for Ladies Figure Skating kicks off Thursday night, and by Saturday judges will have selected the U.S. Olympic team for 2010.
"Yet beyond the bright lights of the competition, judges, coaches, competitors, and commentators are hiding a dirty secret few dare discuss or acknowledge.
"In this exclusive two-part interview, figure skater Jenny Kirk offers a rare, brave and compassionate insider perspective on an eating disorder crisis threatening the future of the sport."
"The National Championship for Ladies Figure Skating kicks off Thursday night, and by Saturday judges will have selected the U.S. Olympic team for 2010.
"Yet beyond the bright lights of the competition, judges, coaches, competitors, and commentators are hiding a dirty secret few dare discuss or acknowledge.
"In this exclusive two-part interview, figure skater Jenny Kirk offers a rare, brave and compassionate insider perspective on an eating disorder crisis threatening the future of the sport."
Friday, November 20, 2009
Athletes and Eating Disorders: Discussing the unique issues surrounding athletes with eating disorders.
When we think of athletes, typically we envision individuals who strive to maintain a healthy body. However, there are those athletes who take weight control and physical appearance to extremes and develop eating disorders as a result. It is important that we as parents, coaches, teachers and teammates are able to recognize the issue and provide support for the athlete as they work to overcome their eating disorder.
A variety of factors put an athlete at risk for developing an eating disorder, including: outside pressure to keep up athletic abilities, maintaining a healthy weight for optimal performance, and the type of sport (individual vs. team, and whether or not it focuses on physical appearance). The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) lists some risk factors here.
Coaches and parents should be aware of symptoms of eating disorders, such as having an intense fear of gaining weight, refusal to maintain a minimally healthy weight, believing that simply weighing less results in improved athletic performance, and increased exercise or obsession with exercise. More symptoms can be found on the NEDA's Web site. Anytime an athlete exhibits these signs, it is important to take immediate action before any severe physical damage occurs.
When assisting an athlete with an eating disorder, start by addressing the athlete's feelings first. These emotions can range from feeling lonely, isolated, and depressed, to feeling overly pressured to excel in athletic performance and setting unrealistic expectations for themselves. Athletes should have a safe environment in which they feel comfortable talking about pressures related to weight and performance, their self-image, and their self-esteem or perceived ability to perform well.
Being proactive in the prevention of disorders is essential, as it can help reduce their occurrence. Remember that talking about eating disorders does not necessarily mean an athlete will develop one. Take time to educate your athlete about the risks of an eating disorder and emphasize the importance of maintaining a healthy body for athletic competition. With these steps, hopefully the athletes you work with will develop a well-grounded view of what it means to be a healthy athlete.
A variety of factors put an athlete at risk for developing an eating disorder, including: outside pressure to keep up athletic abilities, maintaining a healthy weight for optimal performance, and the type of sport (individual vs. team, and whether or not it focuses on physical appearance). The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) lists some risk factors here.
Coaches and parents should be aware of symptoms of eating disorders, such as having an intense fear of gaining weight, refusal to maintain a minimally healthy weight, believing that simply weighing less results in improved athletic performance, and increased exercise or obsession with exercise. More symptoms can be found on the NEDA's Web site. Anytime an athlete exhibits these signs, it is important to take immediate action before any severe physical damage occurs.
When assisting an athlete with an eating disorder, start by addressing the athlete's feelings first. These emotions can range from feeling lonely, isolated, and depressed, to feeling overly pressured to excel in athletic performance and setting unrealistic expectations for themselves. Athletes should have a safe environment in which they feel comfortable talking about pressures related to weight and performance, their self-image, and their self-esteem or perceived ability to perform well.
Being proactive in the prevention of disorders is essential, as it can help reduce their occurrence. Remember that talking about eating disorders does not necessarily mean an athlete will develop one. Take time to educate your athlete about the risks of an eating disorder and emphasize the importance of maintaining a healthy body for athletic competition. With these steps, hopefully the athletes you work with will develop a well-grounded view of what it means to be a healthy athlete.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Ask the Expert - Week 2
Each Friday, I will post a question answered by Dr. Kathryn J. Zerbe. The questions are part of an on-going coversation with Dr. Zerbe from the New York Times.
NY Times Bio
Dr. Zerbe is the author of “The Body Betrayed: A Deeper Understanding of Women, Eating Disorders, and Treatment” (Gurze Books, 1993) and “Integrated Treatment of Eating Disorders: Beyond the Body Betrayed” (Norton, 2008). She has had 25 years of experience working with individuals with eating disorders and directed the Eating Disorder Unit at the Menninger Clinic for five years. She also served on the American Psychiatric Association’s Work Group on Eating Disorders in 2000 and 2006.
Week Two
I recently began running (in March) and since then have had no menstrual cycle. After seeing my gynecologist, she suggested that my amenorrhea, vegetarian diet, and increased fitness program meant that I could be struggling with an eating disorder. However, I eat very healthily and my weight is well within the suggested weight for my height (I am age 18, 140 and 5′11).
It’s true that I do not like to eat fattening foods, preferring to eat healthy, nutritional alternatives (toast with cottage cheese instead of cookies as a snack, for example) but does this mean that I am anorexic? I feel that my gyn. is not seeing the bigger picture here.
From Dr. Zerbe:
It sounds to me as if your gynecologist could be onto something, although I cannot be sure because I have not met with you in person, of course. Here is how I think about a situation such as yours.
Loss of one’s menstrual cycle and eating such a low-fat diet might be signs of an eating disorder. Be aware that we all need essential fat and soluble vitamins for healthy functioning of our brains, our metabolism and our entire bodies. Because many patients with an eating disorder begin with the desire to be trim and fit, it is often hard to know, without consulting a specialist in the field, when running and a particular diet begin to shade into a full or even subclinical form of anorexia or bulimia.
The exact weight of a person is less important than the emphasis one places on looking or feeling a particular way and the amount of time and attention placed on exercise. This is why we in the field say that the first step in recovery is being very honest with oneself about how much time and attention the focus on weight, diet and exercise is taking. We also ask, “Are you really satisfied in your life with respect to your work, your relationships and your overall self image? If you gained 10 pounds, would you feel your world was falling apart?” This helps one know if one is thinking too much about the body and hinging self worth on it.
NY Times Bio
Dr. Zerbe is the author of “The Body Betrayed: A Deeper Understanding of Women, Eating Disorders, and Treatment” (Gurze Books, 1993) and “Integrated Treatment of Eating Disorders: Beyond the Body Betrayed” (Norton, 2008). She has had 25 years of experience working with individuals with eating disorders and directed the Eating Disorder Unit at the Menninger Clinic for five years. She also served on the American Psychiatric Association’s Work Group on Eating Disorders in 2000 and 2006.
Week Two
I recently began running (in March) and since then have had no menstrual cycle. After seeing my gynecologist, she suggested that my amenorrhea, vegetarian diet, and increased fitness program meant that I could be struggling with an eating disorder. However, I eat very healthily and my weight is well within the suggested weight for my height (I am age 18, 140 and 5′11).
It’s true that I do not like to eat fattening foods, preferring to eat healthy, nutritional alternatives (toast with cottage cheese instead of cookies as a snack, for example) but does this mean that I am anorexic? I feel that my gyn. is not seeing the bigger picture here.
From Dr. Zerbe:
It sounds to me as if your gynecologist could be onto something, although I cannot be sure because I have not met with you in person, of course. Here is how I think about a situation such as yours.
Loss of one’s menstrual cycle and eating such a low-fat diet might be signs of an eating disorder. Be aware that we all need essential fat and soluble vitamins for healthy functioning of our brains, our metabolism and our entire bodies. Because many patients with an eating disorder begin with the desire to be trim and fit, it is often hard to know, without consulting a specialist in the field, when running and a particular diet begin to shade into a full or even subclinical form of anorexia or bulimia.
The exact weight of a person is less important than the emphasis one places on looking or feeling a particular way and the amount of time and attention placed on exercise. This is why we in the field say that the first step in recovery is being very honest with oneself about how much time and attention the focus on weight, diet and exercise is taking. We also ask, “Are you really satisfied in your life with respect to your work, your relationships and your overall self image? If you gained 10 pounds, would you feel your world was falling apart?” This helps one know if one is thinking too much about the body and hinging self worth on it.
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