Women and Weight

A survey of 425 female athletes from seven universities suggests weight is an issue for most active women. On average, these active, fit women reported weighing 5 to 7 pounds more than desired. Weight was of equal concern to women in aesthetic sports (such as gymnastics), endurance sports (such as running), and team sports such as soccer.

Outright eating disorders (anorexia or bulimia) affected about 3 to 5% of all the female atheletes. But 79% of the women in aesthetic sports reported experiencing pressure to maintain a certain body weight. (In comparison, 55% of endurance athletes and 36% of team athletes reported that same pressure to be thin). The author believe sub-clinical eating disorders are prevalent among these athletes as they struggle to achieve a perfect weight.

If you find your self struggling with weight, remember the thinnest athlete is not always the best athlete. I remember the thinnest athlete is not always the best. I commonly counsel women who under-eat and are better athletes. The truth os, better fuelling can give them the energy they need to excel and achieve athetic success.

Iron

Iron deficiency anaemia is a common problem among women, and is detrimental to the performance of female athletes. Because iron helps carry oxygen to working muscles, lack of iron results in early fatigue. The best sources of iron are red meats. But cast iron skillets are a good alternative source, particularly when used to cook acidic foods such as apple sauce.

The iron content of apple sauce cooked in an iron pot was 22 mg/half-cup, far greater than the 0.2 mg when the apple were cooked in a glass pot. (In comparison, the iron content of hamburger, a non-acid food, slightly increased from about 2 mg to 2.5 mg/four ounces cooked meat).

The iron silghtly changed the colour of the apple sauce (a little browner) and the flavour. But nevertheless, if you want to boost your iron intake to the RDA (15 mg), your cookware can become a good source of iron.

Women, Weight, and Heath

Among female athletes, regular menstruation is a sign of good health including good bone health. (This hormones involved with menstruation enhanche bone density.) A survey of 28 high school cross-country runners suggests 59% failed to mestruate regularly. More than half of these had either a stress fracture or shin splints, two signs of poor bone health at a very early age. Among 44 collegiate runners, 52% had either no menstrual period or irregular menstrual periods. Their average calcium intake was only 300 milligrams, the equivalent of one glass (8 ounces) of milk per day and far below the recommended 1,200 to 1,500 miligrams that invests in optimal bone development and health.

Mothers, Daughters, and Weight

Dieting seems to be norm for women. On given day, about 70% of women report being on a diet. A survey of 197 mothers (average age, 35 years) and daughters(average age, 5 years) suggests 62% of the mums used unhealthy dieting practices. The mothers` weight concerns and self esteem issues got passed along to their daughthers. That is, if a mum was discontent with her body and had low self esteem, the daughter was likely to feel the same way about her body and herself -at tender age of 5 years!

Clearly, the time has come for women to stop judging themselves from the outside in and start loving themselves from the inside out -if for no other reason than to raise a new generation of girls who can focus on being fit and healthy, not just sleek and slim at any price.

Mother, Children, and Calcium

Mothers` eating habits and food choices get passed along to their kids. A survey about milk drinking indicates the amount of milk a mother drinks strongly  influences the amount her child drinks. This help explain why most children under-consume this calcium-rich food. Yet, a strong calcium intake during the development years can help children acquire  a higher bone density and reduce their risk of future osteoporosis. Women need to be better role models for drinking milk.

Unfortunately for the health of our children, too many women consider milk to be a fattening fluid or an optional beverage. The truth is, milk is not fattening: research suggests milk drinkers are not fatter than milk abstainers. Plus, active women have plenty of calories and can easily spend at least 100 calories per meal on a calcium-rich food. Women need to think of milk as a fundamental fluid -not just an optional beverage.