PositiveSports.net

Putting on Weight for Football Glory: Is it Worth the Health Risks?

This article from the New York Times describes several recent studies indicating that youth are gaining massive amounts of weight to play football.  These young athletes are raising their risk of being morbidly obese as teens and as adults in pursuit of high achievement on the field.  Given what we know about how obesity can wreak havoc on the health of adolescents and adults, it is time to come to grips with this growing problem (no pun intended).

Read the full article in the New York Times.

Promotion of Healthy Weight-Control Practices in Young Athletes

Source: American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Sports Medicine and Fitness

This detailed article by the American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Sports Medicine and Fitness describes common habits leading to unhealthy weight, and provides suggestions for healthy alternatives for weight control in young athletes. Some of the topics discussed are: dehydration, binging/purging behavior, and weight and body-composition measurement.

Click here to view full article at the American Academy of Pediatrics website.

What the Stopwatch Doesn't Tell: Revisiting Female Athlete Eating Disorders

This 2007 article from the Chronical of Higher Education paints a cautionary picture of eating disorders among female athletes.  This article was significant for its publication in the Chronical of Higher Education, perhaps the most influential news journal in the academic community.

Title: What the Stopwatch Doesn't Tell

Author: Strout, Erin

Source: Chronicle of Higher Education, v53 n24pA44 Feb 2007

ERIC Abstract:

Lurking behind the championships, trophies, and academic achievements of many top female athletes is a devastating battle with eating disorders--not a new problem, but one that has changed the way coaches talk to their teams about weight and nutrition. The illnesses, which are often difficult to detect, can throw an entire team into a tailspin. Increasing numbers of college coaches are dealing with athletes' eating disorders, and the problem is particularly acute in sports like running, where a lean physique and unusually small frame can enhance performance. This article discusses the negative effects of eating disorders to the health of female athletes. It also provides tips on how coaches can identify eating disorders. Moreover, this article presents how Michael Whittlesey, North Carolina's cross-country and assistant track-and-field coach, detected the eating disorder symptoms of his female runner Victoria Jackson. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Go to ERIC