Princess Athletes

Avoiding Potential Body-image Problems

By Teri Brown

They are America's princesses. They glide, twirl, leap and jump, amazing us with their grace and daring. The young women of figure skating and gymnastics delight us with their skill and beauty, but the cost they pay to obtain that elite level can be high, with the toll often being their emotional and physical health.

Krissy Harry, a coach with the Sherwood Ice Arena in Sherwood, Ore., and pediatric nurse, knows all too well the price that must be paid. Harry, who spent most of her young life skating competitively, once tried out for an internationally known ice show when she was 15. "The casting people loved my skating," says Harry. "They told me I was a lovely skater, but I was too heavy. They told me to try again when I had lost 15 pounds."

Harry, who now coaches girls of all shapes and sizes, is very careful about the messages she sends her students. "I was really hurt," she says. "The funny part is that I wasn't overweight. I have big bones and short legs and was never going to look like the ideal."

Gymnastics, figure skating and dance are all sports that are judged, not only on their athletic prowess, but their appearance. When you have a sport that is judged on aesthetics, the athlete becomes aware of body image at a very young age, which is something every parent should be aware of.

Kelly Pedrotty is the program coordinator at The Renfrew Center of Philadelphia. The Renfrew Center Foundation is a nonprofit organization advancing the education, prevention, research and treatment of eating disorders. Her experience has shown her just how deep the connection between certain sports and eating disorders go.

"For athletes in aesthetic sports, there is definitely pressure to be thin," she says. "Not only do they feel that pressure surrounding their performance, but since they are being judged on their appearance, they feel the pressure to look perfect. Many sports such as gymnastics, dance and figure skating have a specific body type they are looking for. If you do not fit the mold for the body type for the particular sport, you can be looked down upon, criticized, forced or pressured to lose weight, or even cut from the team."

Science is also seeing what Pedrotty has experienced. A study done by Sundgot-Borgen (1993) shows that the prevalence of eating disorders is higher in sports emphasizing leanness or a specific weight than in sports where there is less importance.

Want to see more?

• Getting Real: 10 Ways to Help Your Daughter Learn to Love Her Body and Herself
• Fatal Trend: Pro-Anorexia Web Sites
• Curves Ahead! Surviving – and Helping – Your Preteen's Body Image
• Talk about it!