Epidemic of Eating Disorders
Growing boys often times take supplements to improve physical performance and appearance or to help them make gains at a faster rate in the weight room. By taking the pills and working out more than average, these boys might start eating less. By doing so they are entering the beginning stages of anorexia or bulimia. Ballaro and Wagner express that “clinicians have expressed concerns about the muscle, bone, and tendon injuries seen in still-growing adolescent boys who take up rigorous weight lifting regimens,” and they are concerned about various internal injuries in young boys who consume pills (par. 17). Basically, Ballaro and Wagner are saying that health experts are concerned for the safety and well being of the young men who decide to take supplements to improve their physical appearance. However, physical performance and appearance in sports does not only pertain to boys. The body image pressures affect girls as well. In the article, “Eating Disorders” it is said that “in high school and college sports, for instance, many girls and young women develop eating disorders as they attempt to achieve a more competitive weight… running and gymnastics, in particular, are two sports where female athletes are often extremely thin” (“Eating Disorders” par. 27). In other words, to run faster, female athletes may think that good performance is associated with being thin, which leads them into anorexia and is detrimental to their performance.