To examine body image and possible distortion of body image among elite female dancers 10 members of a professional ballet company rated both current and ideal body shape. In addition, an objective measure of body composition was obtained via skinfold techniques. t tests indicated that the mean rating for current body image was significantly higher than the rating for ideal, despite the fact that body-composition measures for all subjects were in an "ideal" range according to normative standards. Analysis indicated a high distortion of body image among these dancers and support psychophysiological concerns previously raised.
A number of researchers have suggested that the syndrome of exercise dependence (addiction) is paralleled by a tendency towards eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia. As considerable research has reported a high incidence of eating disorders among dancers and as rigorous physical demands are inherent in dance, we hypothesized that dancers would present a higher profile of exercise dependence on the Negative Addiction Scale than other athletes. To test this hypothesis, 47 female ballet and modern dancers completed a survey on exercise dependence adapted from Hailey and Bailey (1982) to assess quantitatively exercise dependence. Scores were compared with those obtained from 39 female endurance (running) athletes and 16 female nonendurance (field hockey) athletes. Significantly higher scores on dependence for dancers than for endurance or nonendurance athletes were noted. The data indicate that dancers may be at greater risk for psychophysiological problems associated with exercise dependence than other athletes and so should be monitored for symptoms.
Exercise dependence may be defined as a condition that compels an individual to exercise despite contraindications, and which results in physical and psychological complications when withdrawn. While the syndrome of exercise dependence has been previously associated with athletes in various sports, this research report demonstrates that student dancers exhibit higher levels of exercise dependence than do both endurance and non-endurance athletes. As an extension of this research, the present study was undertaken to explore the level of exercise dependence among elite female ballet dancers. Ten subjects were tested, using an exercise addiction scale that was modified for dancers from the instrument created by Rudy and Estok. Results indicated that the mean exercise dependence score for this population was 21.2 ± 1.6 (SE), which represents a “high” category of exercise dependence according to normative standards. This finding raises concerns, given the psychophysiological disturbances that have been previously associated with the syndrome of exercise dependence. Further research is encouraged to examine the clinical implications of exercise dependence that are unique to dancers, and to develop interventions for addressing this emerging disorder.
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