Nutrition

Contrary to popular belief, eating disorders are not limited to classic eating disorders (anorexia and bulimia), but occur on a spectrum ranging from calorie, protein and/or fat restriction and weight control measures (diet pills, laxatives, excessive, compulsive exercise in addition to normal training regimen, self-induced vomiting) to full-blown anorexia and bulimia. Here are the warning signs of anorexia and bulimia and how they can be treated and prevented.

Whether it's training for a soccer game or playing a backyard game of catch, children's athletic performance, development, and growth depend largely on eating the right foods. Unfortunately, most children (and adults) forget just how important nutrition is to good health and athletic performance.

If your child is heading off to sports camp this summer, experts say that the chances are he or she will be dehydrated at camp.  According to studies at the University of Connecticut, between 50 and 75 percent of boys and girls attending summer sports camps are significantly dehydrated, with 25 to 30 percent of the campers studied showed signs of serious dehydration, putting them at increased risk of heat-related illnesses.

Between 1997 and 2001, eighteen student athletes died from heat stroke.In less than a two-week period this summer, football players in Indiana, Florida and Minnesota succumbed to the heat. It is imperative that, as parents, we recognize the signs of heat-related illness and take steps to prevent any more tragedies.

Athletes who exercise in hot or humid weather are prone to three different types of heat illnesses: heat cramps, heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

Whether it's training for a soccer game or playing a backyard game of catch, children's athletic performance, development, and growth depend largely on eating the right foods. Unfortunately, most children (and adults) forget just how important nutrition is to good health and athletic performance.

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While reliable statistics on the number of gymnasts affected by disordered eating or female athlete triad-related problems are not available, the stories of how such celebrated gymnasts as Nadia Comaneci, Cathy Rigby and Kathy Johnson struggled with disordered eating suggests, as one article put it, that women gymnasts are "designed for the disease." What statistics there are suggest that a significant percentage of gymnasts, particularly at the elite levels, are affected