Body Image and Athletes

Updated OnOctober 31, 2013
Written by
Nancy Clark, MS RD CSSD
One solution to the "I feel fat syndrome" is to remember fat is not a feeling. That is, you don't feel blond hair or freckled. You also do not feel fat. Yes, you may be feeling uncomfortable with your body. But you are really feeling imperfect, inadequate, insecure, anxious--and any number of other feelings that get described as feeling fat.

I encourage you to explore those real feelings, and figure out where you got the message that something is wrong with your body. The media is a good start, but it could also be a parent who lovingly said at a tender age "That outfit looks nice, honey, but if only you'd lose a few pounds..." What you hear is "I'm not good enough" and this can create a downward spiral of self-esteem. Weight issues are rarely about weight. They tend to be about feeling inadequate and imperfect.

What to Do

So how can a discontent athlete feel better about his or her body? One tactic is to stop comparing yourself to your peers. To compare is to despair. Rather, pretend you live on an island where your body is good enough the way it is. (You are unlikely to ever have a "perfect" body, so the second best option is to enjoy a body that is "good enough.")

If you step off your island and start comparing yourself to your peers, please notice: Do you end up being too fat, too slow, too ugly, too dumb? Do you ever let yourself rise to the top and be better than others? Doubtful. You are better off staying on your island, and calling yourself a Gorgeous Goddess or Handsome Hulk. With time and practice, you can change the way you see yourself and come to believe perhaps you are, indeed, good enough the way you are.

Granted, changing the way you feel about your body is a complex process. The following resources can help you in this journey to find peace with your body:

  1. www.nourishingconnections.com (free e-newsletter)
  2. www.findingbalance.com  (has videos about resolving weight issues)
  3. www.adiosBarbie.com (offers resources, and insights into the media)

For a plethora of books, visit the online bookshelf at www.gurze.com. Some of my favorites include The Body Image Workbook and The Don't Diet, Live-It Workbook.

Life is more enjoyable when you can love your body and appreciate it for all it does and stop hating it for what it is not. When the drive for thinness comes with a high price, that price may not be worth the cost.