High school sports can get competitive, and young atheletes’ desire to beat out the competition can lead to unhealthy weight-control tactics. Not only are atheletes susceptible to dangerous habits like restricting food-intake, vomiting or taking diuretics, but their coaches might even be encouraging them. The American Academy of Pediatrics’ December 2005 policy statement, “Promotion of Healthy Weight-Control Practices in Young Athletes,” (download the pdf version) offers tips on how doctors and parents can combat this problem.
A version of this news article first appeared in the Around the Web blog.
