Amateur ballet practicing, body image and eating behaviors: a comparative study of classical ballet dancers, gym users and sedentary women

Abstract

Background Ballet dancers are a risk group for body image (BI) distortion, dissatisfaction and eating disorders (ED), but few studies have investigated these aspects in amateur adult practitioners. This study aimed to evaluate if amateur female adult classical ballet dancers presented different BI and behaviors for ED than gym users and sedentary women. Methods This is a cross-sectional study where classical ballet dancers (n = 19) were compared to gym users (n = 19) and sedentary women (n = 19). Body mass index (BMI) was assessed, and a figure rating scale was applied to assess BI distortion/dissatisfaction. The body shape questionnaire (BSQ) was used to measure BI concern. The eating attitudes test (EAT-26) and the bulimic investigatory test, Edinburgh (BITE) were used for behaviors toward anorexia and bulimia. Results BMI was significantly lower in ballet dancers than gym users and sedentary women (F, p = .04). BI distortion did not differ among the studied groups. BI dissatisfaction was lower (X2, p = .041) in ballet dancers (75.0%) and gym users (70.6%) compared to sedentary women (100%). Correspondence analysis showed ballet dancers were mostly not concerned with BI, which was not observed among the other groups. The EAT-26 did not differ between the studied groups. The BITE score was lower (Tukey’s post hoc test, p = .005) in the ballet dancers [mean 5.3 (5.6)] compared to the sedentary women [mean 10.9 (4.8)]. Conclusions Data suggest that amateur classical ballet practicing is associated to better BI and fewer behaviors for ED in the studied population. The lower BMI in ballet dancers might explain these findings, and further studies should explore these associations.

The Impact of Sports Involvement on Body Image Perception and Ideals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…As for the anthropometric profile, most of the studies reported BMI calculated from self-reported weight and height; only in four studies were height and weight measured objectively and, in two of these, the percentage of fat mass was also assessed by DEXA [ 34 ] or by the skinfold method [ 31 ]. Finally, Devrim et al [ 32 ], in their study, asked bodybuilders to self-report height, weight, body fat percentage, and fat-free mass index.…”

“…In five studies on adolescent athletes, the authors used the Contour Drawing Rating Scale proposed by Thompson and Gray [ 37 ], while Borrione et al [ 28 ], in their study on adolescent Italian and international rhythmic gymnasts, used the Figure Rating Scale developed by Stunkard et al [ 29 ]. In adult athletes, the BI perception was assessed using Stunkard et al’s silhouettes [ 29 ] (four studies), Pinto et al [ 42 ] used the Muscle Silhouette Measure developed by Frederick et al [ 43 , 44 ], de Medeiros Eufrásio et al [ 34 ] used the Kakeshita et al silhouettes [ 35 ], and Godoy-Izquierdo et al [ 38 ] used the silhouettes proposed by Ramirez et al [ 39 ]. Two studies on male bodybuilders used the Bodybuilder Image Grid (BIG), 30 silhouettes of male figures that are used to measure body image perceptions of male athletes, especially for bodybuilders [ 33 ].…”

“…Compared with the non-sports population, athletes are generally believed to be more satisfied because their physique better reflects the ideal characteristics of the Western world (thinness in the female gender, muscularity in the male gender) [ 18 ]. However, comparisons between athletes and non-sports individuals were generally absent in the revised articles, except for the study by de Medeiros Eufrásio et al [ 34 ], which confirms a lower dissatisfaction with BI in athletes than in sedentary people. In general, a positive influence of physical activity on psychological characteristics (such as self-esteem) related to positive BI has been reported in the literature [ 55 , 60 ].…”

“…In the present systematic review, sports were found to affect BID differently depending on the sport type. In particular, ballet dancers [ 23 , 30 , 34 ] appeared to be more dissatisfied than athletes in other specialties. Their dissatisfaction was predominantly related to the perception of being overweight [ 30 ] with a greater desire for thinness in female dancers than in male dancers [ 30 , 31 ].…”

“…In sports such as rhythmic and artistic gymnastics and figure skating, athletes believe they can achieve higher scores when their body mass and shape conform to a specific body ideal for that given sport [ 71 ]. However, only three of the included studies reported body composition parameters [ 31 , 32 , 34 ], unlike the BMI reported in all 15 studies. In general, a definite association is known between body weight perception and BI, with significant positive correlations between BMI and BID/restrictive eating [ 72 ].…”