Some Sports May Lead to Unhealthy Behavior in Girls

Some Sports May Lead to Unhealthy Behavior in Girls Gail Snyder Most people concede that sports are a good thing for both genders, but recent studies show that sports with an emphasis on body shape - such as gymnastics and ballet - may goad girls toward eating disorders. According to a report by Jennifer Warner, researchers found that girls who participated in such sports were one and a half times more likely than other girls to engage in behaviors (forced vomiting, ingesting diuretics and laxatives, compulsive exercise) that lead to or indicate eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. Although the study also revealed that 91 percent of girls who participate in weight-conscious sports do not develop eating disorders, those who reported substance abuse, feelings of depression and who had poor communication with parents were more likely to become the 9 percent who do develop such disorders. The research team also found that lower body weight does not necessarily signal an eating disorder, so coaches and parents should be more on the lookout for changes in eating behaviors and social behaviors (withdrawal from family and friends, excessive workouts) as opposed to weight. They also warn coaches to be careful of their own behaviors, making sure that they don't send the wrong signals about weight and body shape. They can do so by stressing the quality of the diet rather than the quantity. Meanwhile, researchers are taking a new approach to the traditional methods of treating eating disorders, turning from psychotherapy to behavioral interventions. As reported in The Wall Street Journal, new studies indicate that taking action rather than talking about the problem may be much more conducive to cure. Anorexia nervosa, systematic self-starvation, is an illness that is not restricted to but afflicts mainly teenaged girls. The disease has one of the highest mortality rates for diseases classified as mental illness due to high rates of suicide as well as associated medical complications. New interventions such as the Maudsley program, developed in a London hospital, coach parents to actively intervene in the illness and to offer incentives for finishing meals along with consistent verbal encouragement. Swedish researchers have developed a computer program for anorexia sufferers that helps them monitor their food intake and receive instant feedback and data on normal consumption. The Center for Eating Disorders in Stockholm has invented a measurement device called a Mandometer with which patients can track the amount of food they consume and compare that against healthy norms. Many U.S. physicians remain skeptical of these new methods but the centers that offer the methods and the patients who use them report faster recoveries compared to conventional therapies and significantly reduced relapse rates.