Summer Olympics and body image

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Cathlete
I love watching all the fit (not skinny) women competing....different shapes and sizes fit healthy bodies just doing their thing!
 
The water polo scares me. :eek: The players look like they'd be happy to drown you.
Seriously, though, the bodies on all the athletes are amazing. I'm drooling over each one. You can see how different body types and uppper or lower body strength comes into play. It's like a tutorial on fitness.
 
bonjonbart said:
The water polo scares me. :eek: The players look like they'd be happy to drown you.
Seriously, though, the bodies on all the athletes are amazing. I'm drooling over each one. You can see how different body types and uppper or lower body strength comes into play. It's like a tutorial on fitness.
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I have enjoyed watching this as well. I am fascinated by the differences in the bodies of the swimmers as opposed to the gymnasts, and the volleyball players as well. It's beautiful! I can't wait for track and field to start so I can see those bodies.
 
And so very different from the surgically enhanced bodies you see in Hollywood and some of the fitness competition world! Natural fit bodies look so much better to me.

Stebby
 
I have especially enjoyed the men's diving. My daughter was quite dismayed to see they were wearing Speedos. I tried to explain to her they most definitely SHOULD be wearing Speedos ;)
 
jcm said:
I have especially enjoyed the men's diving. My daughter was quite dismayed to see they were wearing Speedos. I tried to explain to her they most definitely SHOULD be wearing Speedos ;)
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I was watching this with my 16-yr old sister, and we were both drooling over the bodies ;)
 
I often wonder how 'healthy' these little girls are. It is my understanding that eating disorders run rampant in the gymnastics world.

I suppose I should get on google and find some articles. (I'm on my iPhone now.)
 
eminenz2 said:
I often wonder how 'healthy' these little girls are. It is my understanding that eating disorders run rampant in the gymnastics world.

I suppose I should get on google and find some articles. (I'm on my iPhone now.)
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I also ask myself this question. I've seen interviews with ths olympic athletes who claim to have eating disorders and go beyond measures to look a certain way. That said, I love watching both the wome and men gymnastics, they are incredible!!!
 
To the extent that function takes precedence way over aesthetics, I would be surprised if any Olympic athlete actually had an eating disorder. The chance of winning a gold medal, for which they train their whole lives, is too all-consuming a possibility to risk losing it because you didn't take in enough calories to fuel performance. Muscles can't be built on an eating disorder. And muscles are definitely the order of the day.

I remember reading that Britain's heptathelete Jessica Ennis was accused by the press of being "fat." What idiotic people. She has one of the best bodies I've ever seen, period.

Clare
 
But I think the point is that any athlete can find themselves in this position and how the drive for a medal can throw you off course. The pressure to be the best is that strong.

Jockeys are also infamous for their eating disorders (mostly bulimia). They call it 'flipping'. Jockeys are some of the toughest, wiriest, tenacious people you could ever imagine competeing in a ridicuously dangerous sport.

http://www.emaxhealth.com/1/21025.html

http://www.eating-disorders.org.uk/weight-control-among-jockeys.html

http://articles.nydailynews.com/2000-09-11/sports/18161047_1_bulimia-jockey-s-room-physical-therapy


Hunger games: Some female athletes battle eating disorders | khou.com Houston

This article is about Brittany Viola, an American platform diver in this year's Olympics who battled bulimia:

Olympic Athlete, Brittany Viola, Inspires Awareness of Bulimia

A general article about Athletes and Eating Disorders;

Athletes and Eating Disorders | Eating for Life Alliance


Other articles:

London 2012 Olympics: triathlete Hollie Avil reveals why she has decided to bring an end to her promising career - Telegraph

The Price of Gold: Eating Disorders in the Olympics
 
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