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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. Page  | 40