Instant Access To 100,000+ Essays!

In today’s society many women are in a constant battle with their bodies. Most television commercials and magazine advertisements portray the images of happy, thin women. The message that is relayed and that is commonly observed by women is that if one wants to be attractive, she’d better be thin. Several false impressions have developed among women including the idea that food is the fattening enemy, thinner is better, and exercise can help shape a perfect body (Clark, 1996). For women involved in sports, the pressures may be even greater. Coaches’ prompting or the images of successful athletes may encourage athletes to strive to become thinner in an attempt to perform better or to look better while performing. The results of these pressures usually develop an excessive concern about food, weight, and body shape, and may develop into the female athlete triad of disordered eating, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis (Clark, 1996; Smith, 1996). The Female Athlete Triad Mixed messages surround many athletes, especially female athletes. Female competitors are expected to be assertive and aggressive, yet have the appearance of sweet little girls (Smith, 1996). The mixed messages can be confusing for many female athl