Discuss why some athletes are more susceptible to developing eating disorders than others

Answer 1

For some sports, physical performance is determined not only by motor abilities, strength, and coordination, but also by body weight. Athletes such as ski jumpers, cyclists, rock climbers, and long-distance runners may deliberately try to achieve low body weight to gain a competitive advantage. Athletes in sports that entail strict weight classes (such as boxing and wrestling) often try to fit the lowest possible weight class to avoid being outsized. Sports that demand a thin physical appearance (such as gymnastics) are also likely to have more athletes with eating disorders than are sports for which greater size may be beneficial. This may be because judges in such sports often consider size and appearance when rating performance. Athletes who participate in dancing, figure skating, synchronized swimming, gymnastics, and diving have long perceived that body size affects how judges rate their performance.