Health disorders of athletes

Girls who begin intensive athletic training at an early age – sometimes beginning as young as 6 or 7 years old – tend to suffer more from eating disorders, delayed menstruation and growth, frequent injuries, and emotional harassment from coaches. According to a 1992 study of female college athletes in the USA, 62 per cent of the gymnasts suffered from at least one form of eating disorder, compared to 18 per cent of women in general.