The Dangers of Weight Loss
Just as potent as the message to young men to get bigger is the one to young women to get smaller. Sometimes the coach inadvertently leads them to it by suggesting, “Get the junk out of your trunk,” which the player translates into, “Lose weight, or else.” “I started restricting my diet and exercising excessively to look more athletic,” says Eleanor H., age 18. “My parents made me quit cross country, but I began restricting more. I believed I was getting healthier, but I was extremely withdrawn and felt incredibly cranky and unhappy.” With a nutritionist’s help, Eleanor’s eating patterns have normalized. “I’ve gained some weight back and plan to play on the tennis team,” she says.
Anorexia or bulimia in an athlete usually has to do with a desperate need for accomplishment, says Kate Bruno, a registered dietitian and certified personal trainer in Charlottesville, VA, who specializes in treating eating disorders.
Many young, underweight female athletes develop a combination of three interrelated symptoms called the Female Athlete Triad – disordered eating, irregular or no menstrual periods, and increased risk of osteoporosis, or bone weakness.
Parents can foster good eating habits by offering their teen athlete nutritious food, and encouraging them to eat when hungry and stop when satisfied. Frequent meals and snacks help balance out an athlete’s blood sugar levels. Teens typically think they need less food when they don’t work out. “Actually, muscles need fuel to repair the damage from exercising,” says Bruno.
What Parents and Coaches Can Do
Sometimes parents inadvertently encourage unhealthy behaviors by praising their teen for their appearance and performance. Don Hooton says “We told Taylor ‘Keep taking those protein shakes, you’re looking good.’ Now we know it’s physically impossible to gain 30 pounds of muscle in 90 days, as Taylor did, without taking steroids.”
Get to know your athlete’s coach, who spends a lot of time with your teen. “Look in on practice. Ask the coach if she needs any help. Volunteer to bring in a speaker from a local college to provide training tips,” Goldberg says.
The No. 1 reason teens seek out performance enhancers is pressure to perform. As parents, we need to emphasize the lessons they learn from sports – teamwork, being healthy, gaining self-confidence, and having fun – not just winning. Let them play sports, cleanly, for the right reasons.
Kathy Smith, Roanoke, VA 03/21/08
Something not mentioned here is wrestler's struggles to "make weight". Boys are wrestling at weights that are not healthy, too low for their naturally growing bodies, and they starve themselves to make weight and then binge eat. Some of them spit for hours to try to lose weight! The younger boys learn all of the bad habits of the older ones, while the coaches look the other way or are unaware.
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