National Eating Disorder Awareness Week

            This week is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week and an important week for dance educators.  As a dance educator I have taught students with diagnosed eating disorders, I have had parents come to me in tears looking for guidance and support, I have had students come to me wanting to know how to help their friends, and I have had the privilege to be a student’s point person during the recovery process. 

            Dance is an activity that forces people to face their bodies daily.  Dancers stare at themselves in full mirrors, they need to be able to accept their bodies strengths as well as weaknesses, and they need to learn to be critical of how their bodies move without being critical of their actual bodies.  One of our jobs as dance educators is to teach them how to do these things and still develop a positive self-image.  Ignoring eating disorders and pretending they do not exist will not make them go away – educating the dance community about healthy eating, what really happens when we diet, what eating disorders are and how to recognize them, and how dangerous they can be will start us in the right direction.

            The Healthy Dancer’s celebration of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week usually involves covering the dance studio mirrors with paper and asking each student to write 3 things he or she like about him/herself on the paper.  By the end of the week, all of my dancers have enjoyed a week without mirrors and self-judgment and have instead focused on their positive qualities.

            The National Eating Disorder Association is a great resource for those suffering from disorders, parents, coaches, and educators, and I am always willing to share my experiences as an educator if you simply send me an email.

            In order to celebrate on this blog, I have gathered snippets from all of my past posts relating to nutrition and eating disorders for you to browse through, and The Healthy Dancer is sponsoring a giveaway in conjunction with the dancers who created Barre – The Real Food Bar.  Click on this link to find out how to win these healthy energy bars that are made from only real, whole food ingredients and taste delicious, too!

Dancer Health:  Fueling the Body Efficiently

When people prepare for a long road trip, they fill their cars with gasoline and make certain that they choose the type of fuel that will keep their cars running efficiently.  Food is the body’s fuel, and if the body is going to run efficiently, we need to be mindful of the food we use for energy.  Read more....

What to Eat Before and After Class or Rehearsal     

Dance students attend classes and rehearsals after already completing a long day at school.  It is at the time when most people begin to experience the “afternoon slump” that dancers are expected to begin the next part of their day.  Classes are starting and are often followed by rehearsals and require enormous amounts of energy.  Eating intelligently will help dancers perform at their best and feel good while doing it.  Read more...

Dancers and Body Image

Dancers are given the opportunity to observe themselves daily in full-length mirrors while wearing only tights and a leotard and must learn to live in harmony with their bodies.  They, unlike other athletes, are constantly faced with the challenge of developing the muscles required to perform well while making certain that the lines they produce are clean and aesthetically pleasing to the audience.  Read more...

Eating Disorders:  What Are They?

  
A dancer’s struggle with body image, when coupled with environmental and societal pressures to look a certain way or be a certain weight, often leads to dieting which can be a dangerous road for any athlete to travel.  Suddenly decreasing caloric intake, while energy demands remain high, leaves the body unable to function optimally and can cause a dancer to feel inadequate, out of control and depressed.  Read more...





Eating Disorders:  What's Happening on the Inside?
The human body is amazing and will go to great lengths to protect itself, and that is exactly why eating disorders are so devastating….    Read more...




Eating Disorders:  How Can Dance Educators and Parents Lower the Risk?

Dancers compete individually in an aesthetic sport, placing them in the high-risk category for developing an eating disorder.  What can dance educators and parents do to lower the risk for their dancers and children?  Read more...





Anorexia Athletica:  When Exercising Becomes a Bad Thing
Anorexia athletica is a disorder described as using exercise to change the size, shape, or composition of the body in a compulsive manner.  Individuals with this disorder have a constant pre-occupation with exercise and develop a dependence on exercise that is similar to an addiction.  Read more...