title: Disordered Eating Behavior, Body Image, and Energy Status of Female Student Dancers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Modern culture has stereotyped the female body as one that is continually getting thinner. Internalization of the 'thin' ideal is partly attributable to the inner ideal to be successful combined with the external pressure imposed by media and others. Many individuals attempt to achieve these ideals by behavior modification that imposes health risks.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate disordered eating (DE) behavior and energy status in female student dancers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Volunteer dancers (n = 26) aged 19.0 (18.0; 21.0) years, matched by controls (n = 26) aged 20.0 (19.0; 21.0) years were recruited. Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3) subscales, Three-factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) Cognitive Dietary Restraint (CDR) subscale, and EDI-3 Referral Form behavioral questions assessed DE behavior. Energy status was assessed with a food record and Actiheart monitor.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Dancers achieved significantly higher scores than controls in all questionnaires, namely: EDI-3 Drive for Thinness [12.0 (3.0; 19.0) vs. 4.5 (2.0; 9.0), p = .023], EDI-3 Body Dissatisfaction [16.0 (10.0; 25.0) vs. 6.5 (3.0; 14.0), p = .004], and TFEQ-CDR [9.0 (2.0; 15.0) vs. 3.0 (3.0; 7.0), p = .032]; dancers used excessive exercise to lose weight (19.2% vs. 0%, c2 = 5.53, p = .019), and had lower energy availability (24% vs. 8%, p < .05) than controls. The average energy balance (EB) was negative for both groups [dancers: EB = -3896 (-5236; -1222) vs.
  
  
  METHODS
  EB = -2639 (-4744; -789) kJ/day].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Female dancers are at risk for DE behavior and many have suboptimal energy status which may be related to their quest to achieve a more desirable appearance; education on healthy weight management practices is needed.
authors: Faculty of Health Sciences, Centre of Excellence for Nutrition, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
authors: Justine G
authors: JG
authors: Robbeson
authors: Herculina Salome
authors: HS
authors: Kruger
authors: Hattie H
authors: HH
authors: Wright
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000328:Adult; D057215:Body Dysmorphic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003615:Dancing; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015930:Diet Records; D002149:Energy Intake; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D013851:Thinness / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult