RJA #3a

Research Topic Exploration

I have begun a pretty general search regarding my topic. Currently I have been searching through Google and found some interesting websites. I am mainly trying to get a broad overview into the issue of competitive sports and eating disorders before narrowing down the search. I think by having an overall idea of the opinions, concerns, etc. regarding my topic it will be easier to begin refining my search. Varying in content, I have bookmarked a few of the better sites I found on my delicious account. One site, I was startled to find that, "according to a 1992 American College of Sports Medicine study, eating disorders affected 62 percent of females in sports like figure skating and gymnastics." (mirror-mirror.org). Not only is this percent high, but a relatively older statistic. I will be very curious to find more current statistics as I believe the numbers may have grown. On almost every site there seems to be a consensus that athletes are easier targets for eating disorders due to the extreme discipline and pressures that often come with the sport. I also found many times a concern over the pressures placed on the athlete by their very coaches. This was a startling idea. To explain, athletes often trust and depend heavily upon their trainers, and it is unsettling to think that often it is the weight standards these trainers have that leave the athlete struggling. Based on the research I have done thus far, I am thinking there is a definite argument as to the correlation between competitive sports and disordered eating.