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MALES ATHLETES
Tips to Promote Positive Body Image in your self
as an Athlete
Make changes in your sport to fit your physical
ability and body rather than making changes in
your body to better fit your sport
- Look to positive role models who have great
attitudes, values, and behaviors in the area
of food, weight, and body image.
- Accept the varied and natural weight range,
size, and shape of bodies.
- Celebrate positive qualities of who you are
rather than how you perform, or what you look
like.
- Accept compliments about who you are as gifts
and believe them.
- Look around and see athletes of all shapes,
weights, and sizes. Ask the administration in
your sport environment to make a variety of
body sizes visible (in sport photos for example.)
- De-emphasize weight by not weighing yourself,
comparing your body to another athlete, or commenting
on body size and shape.
- Know the warning signs of negative body image
and disordered eating and get help if needed.
- Have a zero tolerance for teasing and discrimination,
including body size discrimination.
- Speak positively about bodies, food, weight,
and shape.
- Be aware that negative comments have the
power to impact an athlete for life –
speak up to someone who comments negatively
on your body or asks you to change it in ways
that are not healthful or natural.
- Focus on your abilities rather than your
appearance.
- Remember that skills learned in one sport
can be applied to other sports.
- Say “Yes!” to eating food in
all food groups in accordance with Canada’s
Food Guide and “No1” to restricting
foods or dieting to change body weight and shape.
- Remember that your body will gain weight,
grow, and change during puberty.
- Ensure that there is time and a place for
you as an athlete to eat and drink fluids. Have
energy-packed food and drinks available in your
gym bag. Ask for time and a place if it does
not exist.
- Ask for equal playing time.
- Go to presentations of experts who are invited
to your sport environment to deliver positive
messages and answer questions about nutrition,
body image, competition, body composition, and
performance.
- Use individual and confidential help available
for athletes if you need it.
- Read the up to date books, pamphlets, and
Internet sites, available in your sport environment,
for parents, coaches, and athletes on the topics
of positive body image, nutrition, and disordered
eating.
Sport positive
Sport is a place that can contribute to an individual’s
life in positive ways. It can build character,
responsibility and integrity and promote values
like fairness, fitness, friendship, and fun.
There are times, however, when an athlete’s
personality and life experiences do not mix
well with the sport environment. This combination
of personality factors and sport demands may
increase the risk that an athlete will develop
an eating disorder.
Coaches, parents, teammates, officials, administrators,
and federations play an important role in
promoting positive body image and self-esteem,
as well as preventing disordered eating in
athletes.
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