The control and perfectionism that set Olympic athletes apart from their peers at lower levels of competition often have a darker side, according to Kimberly Dennis, M.D., a leading psychiatrist specializing in eating disorder treatment.
Dr. Dennis, Medical Director at Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center, discusses this problem in detail in the first of a two-part column on DailyStrength.org, where she serves as a medical expert. Dr. Dennis takes a fresh look at the sport of figure skating from a medical perspective, citing comments from a former national champion estimating that greater than 80% of national level competitors suffer with eating disorders or serious body image issues.
Dr. Dennis believes that aesthetic sports like figure skating and gymnastics often sanction behaviors more consistent with eating disorders than healthy living. The result impacts more than just the athletes themselves, who often risk injury to compete at unhealthy weights, and who may suffer life-long physical and psychiatric complications. Olympic athletes also project an unrealistic body image that influences younger competitors and the public watching on television.
"It's a unique coincidence that the Ladies' Olympic figure skating competition will take place next week, during National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (NEDA Week)," noted Dr. Dennis. "Olympic figure skaters will get lots of attention for their artistry and technical skill, and much will be said about their stories of hard work and sacrifice. Viewers should also realize how unrealistic the images they see on TV are, and how severe are the costs paid by many of those women to achieve those results. The effects of an eating disorder will be with many of these women for life."