When Physical Perfection Puts the Young at Risk -- A Little Too Much Healthy Exercise -- Bio, Soc

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The Washington Post has an interesting article on the American Academy of Pediatrics new policy on the risks faced by young athletes trying to gain or lose too much weight.

Young athletes are at risk of engaging in unhealthy efforts to lose or gain weight and doctors need to give them guidance and "put pressure" on coaches to do the same, the American Academy of Pediatrics says.

In a detailed policy statement, the academy stresses that losing or gaining more than roughly one or two pounds weekly is dangerous.

"Weight loss accompanied by overexercising, using rubber suits, steam baths, or saunas" should be prohibited for all young athletes, the policy says. So should diet pills, nutritional supplements and diuretics, and no weight-loss plan for athletic purposes should ever be used before the ninth grade, the policy says.

Much as I normally appreciate people pushing their limits and trying to develop their gifts, I think this is one area where a little caution is warranted. Kids and teens have bodies that are still developing, and which don't need to be damaged by overzealous training (including dieting, supplements, etc). A healthy lifestyle seems more than adequate for the young, anything more extreme can certainly wait until you're an adult.

And I'm not even going to joke about the steroids. Though here's a question for my readers: How long do you think it will take before someone realizes just how much self-hypnosis can reshape the body... and maybe decides to toss the chemicals for mental augmentations?


Future Imperative