Summary: Risks Among Teen Athletes

Nobody knows what causes eating disorders. Some people are more at risk then other. For example, Athletes are higher at risk for body image or eating disorder because they are pressured to maintain a specific body shape or size. These Sports are the ones that focus on the individual rather than the entire team. For example: gymnast, running, figure skating, dance or diving. They are all pressured to perform their highest level, so they try and do what ever they can to make it happen.Many female athletes fall victim to eating disorders in a desperate attempt to be thin in order to please coaches and judges. Many coaches are guilty of pressuring these athletes to be thin by criticizing them or making reference to their weight. Teens try dangerous methods of weight control which has an emotional damages to the athlete. In sports where the athletes are judged by technical and artistic merit, they are under enormous pressure to be thin, because many of the judges consider thinness to be an important factor when deciding the artistic score.