NEDA TOOLKIT for Coaches and Trainers
Preventing eating disorders among dancers
Talking with Kate Thomas, Director, The School at Steps Dance School, New York City
About three years ago, we had an outbreak, almost an
epidemic of eating disorders. Almost every other day,
it seemed, a teacher would come in and say “I want
you to come in and look at this kid.” Girls who left in
the spring rosy-cheeked would come back gaunt, with
their shoulder blades sticking out. Of course, their
friends’ reactions were “You look so great,” which was
completely supportive of this behavior. In some cases,
I had to contact the parents because the child was so
weak. If a student is too thin and teachers know they lack the
strength and muscle to handle our rigorous programs,
they will be eliminated during auditions. Parents can
get defensive, but we will not let students join our
program until they have reached a healthy weight. In
some cases being told that being underweight will not
help the child in her attempts to turn professional will
trigger the motivation to get better.
Kate Thomas’s tips for promoting self-esteem
and healthy body image among dancers:
• Never tell a dancer to lose weight. Instead, say,
“There are a lot of ways to dance. Let’s find a dance
style that fits your body, instead of trying to force
your body to fit the dance style.”
• Promote the goal of “be the best that your body
can be, not the best that ever walked the stage.”
• Studies have shown that artists or those with
artistic natures are often riddled with self-doubt.
Train dancers to take disappointment well. It’s
going to be a long haul; help your dancers learn
healthy coping skills.
Eating disorders and the team dynamic
By Whitney Post, Life Alive Coaching
When one or two athletes on a team are struggling
with an eating disorder, it can dramatically affect the
whole squad. A coach may feel unsure about how to
address the issue; it involves weight and body size,
which are sensitive topics. As hard as it is, it is best to
discuss your concern with the athlete, for the following
reasons: •
The contagion effect. Studies have shown that
eating disorders and disordered-eating patterns
can be contagious – especially in groups of young
women and girls. Teams often eat together and
change together, and the body size and meal
portions of teammates are constantly being
observed, sometimes even scrutinized.
• •
• Athletes who are showing signs of an eating
disorder may assume that what they are doing is
okay if an adult does not intervene and tell them
otherwise. Other athletes may interpret a coach’s
silence the same way.
Athletes are highly attuned to their teammates
and gossip is a common pastime on teams. Often
athletes will discuss their concerns about a team
member with other athletes. They may become
distracted by their worry about their teammate(s)
and their uncertainty over how to deal with the
problem. This takes their focus away from their
sport and athletic goals.
Athletes struggling with disordered eating may put
themselves at risk for injury.
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