Thin to win

Sports like gymnastics and figure skating seem to be full of beauty and glamor to the viewing eye, but once you look backstage these sports have dangerous and devastating consequences. Severe outcomes such as repeatedly breaking bones and threatening and often fatal eating disorders are few ordeals that these young athletes must endure.
Gymnasts and figure skaters require flexibility, and as both men and women mature their flexibility often deteriorates. This is why these athletes often start at a very young age and continue to try and keep their bodies at the age and size as long as they are competing. Starting a heavy training schedule so early in development can add much more stress on ones joints, which can and will cause future problems. Common injuries for skaters consist of the knees and hips, while gymnasts struggle with fractures and sprains in their wrists, lumbar and ankles. Not only do these athletes have to struggle with these injuries repetitively but because of the need to be tiny, their growth rates are often slowed down which can create intense damage on their spinal cord. For young women, the slowing down of body development can also slow down and delay maturation, resulting in late menstrual cycles, which can be very harmful to their bodies and reproductive systems in the future. The need to be small "pixies" has become an overwhelming necessity in order to compete successfully. The lighter and shorter you are will affect your number of rotations or height in the air, or the final outcome and score of your event.
With this need to be small and young, repercussions arise, such as eating disorders. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are two common eating disorders that occur not just in these sports, but all over the world. Anorexia is the refusal to eat anything other then possible small portion vegetables or fruits and bulimia consists of defensive vomiting after eating large portions. Both disorders in the end will weaken the body and immune system and in the end the negative aftermath with out way the reasoning, to be thin. In a NCAA survey of collegiate athletes conducted in 1992 "93% of the programs reporting eating disorders were in women sports." This need to be thin, and this judging system that lowers self esteem and confidence will in the end ruin the lives of young inspiring, and passionate athletes. Behind all the sparkling outfits and fake smiles is a person who is fighting to be the best and make others proud while she/he is slowly killing themselves.