Eating Disorders

Many gymnasts struggle with Eating Disorders. Something very stressful in the sport of gymnastics is the way that you look when you are wearing that leotard and all eyes are on you at that important competition. Not only is it hard for you to accept the way you look all by yourself, there are many people, whether it be teammates, other teams, coaches, judges, that often say things that help increase that stress when they make unwelcome comments. I have always been a power gymnast, who is a little bigger, with big legs and wide hips, not fatter just bigger built. Two years ago at gymnastics camp a girl who was smaller then me at age 12 while i was 14 made a comment that very much hurt my feelings. She said, " Why are you in a leotard? You don't look like a gymnast." That motivated me to lose some weight. I got to the point where I became a little bit obcessive. I lost 22 pounds in the next 6 months that followed, most of it being in the first couple of months. This was eating a strict diet, working out twice a day, as well as having the normal four hour practices, three to four days a week. My mom became very worried about me because I ate less and worked out more. She was very concerned because one of the things that coaches say is that in gymnastics eating disorders do occur. I did not have an Eating Disorder, but I became very worried about gaining the slightest bit of weight. I also have had friends that have given into things such as eating disorders. My old coach once told my friend that she was getting fat and needed to watch it otherwise she would be off the team. She only weighed one hundred pounds at the time, and she was 17. She then turned to anorexia, after going about a week she decided that she missed her food. She then became a bulemic, someone who eats but then makes themselves puke afterwards. It took me a while to figure it out, but as she became smaller and smaller, I became a little worried. After many months off of gymnastics, and a doctor by her side, she because getting stronger and eating better again. Gymnastics really can mess with your mind if you let what people say get inside your head. I was strong enough to just get a little heath concious, but other people really care what people think about them. So I think it is important that coaches, and teammates should really think about their comments before they make them.