Background
Sport has a range of benefits including physical health, leadership, socialization, and mental health. However, the latest research continues to show that most girls are not realizing these benefits. Nearly 60% of girls aren’t meeting recommended exercise guidelines. Reports of sport quality suggest that a significant factor that prevents girls from continuing in sport is due to negative body image and the body pressures faced when in the sport environment.
Within non athletic populations prevention programs have been found beneficial in helping to reduce negative body image perceptions and eating disorders.
The Sporting Environment
Of the very few sport-specific body image and disordered eating interventions, most have focused on emerging adults or collegiate athletes rather than adolescents. With the increased pressures that athletes are exposed to in their sport environments strategies are needed to address the messages athletes receive.
In light of this…
researchers and non-profit organizations have declared an urgent need for comprehensive and inclusive sport-specific interventions that demonstrate long-term reduction in body image concerns.
Athletes Embodied 