The Association Between Sports, Body Image, and Eating Disorders of Males Teens at Eastside Catholic

Abstract

In the past 25 years, the number of males who are dissatisfied with their bodies increased threefold. This is prevalent especially in the athletic field, where different physique expectations are closely associated with performance. Heightened focus on dietary rules and fitness level cause males to struggle with body dissatisfaction and shame and increase the risk of them developing eating disorders (ED), some of which are the most fatal mental illnesses. Many disordered eating behaviors stem from negative self-perceptions, which start to develop as early as the beginning of grade school and intensifies during pubertal development. However, most studies that examine this issue either looks at female college athletes who have a heavy exercise load and pressure from society on their physiques or focuses on social factors of peer pressure, family influence, and beauty standard. Therefore, it is imperative to determine whether sports participation is positively correlated with the rapidly growing rate of body image issues and ED symptoms in adolescent boys to help address them promptly and prevent severe and lasting damages. This quantitative case study conducted on male teens at Eastside Catholic High School (ECHS) found positive correlations between aesthetic/strength sports, body image issues, and higher ED risks, suggesting that athletic involvement plays a greater role in a person’s physical perception and mental health than body weight does. The conclusions inform education institutions and guardians of the more effective way to detect male adolescents’ body image issues and eating disorder symptoms, helping to prevent or alleviate mental illnesses.