Double Body Image

Athletes go through rigorous and intense training to become the best they can be.  It is no wonder why they are in such impeccable shape.  Many of us idolize not only their hard work and dedication, but also the shape they are in.  As we may stereotype athletes to have the perfect athletic build and wish we could have their body, athletes are doing the exact same thing; wishing for a different body.  They too struggle with negative body image due to the discrepancy between what they feel their body needs to look like as an athlete and what their body needs to look like as a culturally accepted female (Krane, Waldron, Michalenok, & Stiles-Shipley, 2011).  This is called the double body image.

"Ideal Thin"

In Krane et al. (2011) study, the researchers’ main focus was to look at the attitudes of college women athletes, and how they view their bodies as athletes in comparison to cultural expectations.  The thought of “the double body image” is quite interesting and makes sense after reading this study.  As an athlete, you take total pride in your body.  You are dedicated to working out and eating right not only so your performance is top notch, but also so your body fits the part.  When you are in season, training and practice come first; everything else is put on the back burner.  Krane et al. state, “The athletes we interviewed expressed pride and satisfaction with their bodies as athletes.  They worked hard to develop as strong, powerful, and skilled athletes” (2011).  As proud as athletes are of their body, they also become self-conscious when they are around their friends who are not involved in competitive sports.  This has a lot to do with what our society considers thin and beautiful.  When athletes are in their natural surroundings, being the sport world, their bodies are perfect.  Their bodies are toned and muscular and shaped in a way that is beneficial to their performance.  However, being out in the real world, they may be looked at as having “to manly” of a body.  Women strive to be toned but not overly muscular.  They do not want to lose their feminine look.  Social constructs lead us to view a ‘feminine look’ as being thin, lean, and toned.  In our society, if you are too muscular you lose your feminine look.  Athletes want the best of both worlds, to fit in and be accepted as both a women athlete and culturally fit female.



"Athletic Build"

One of the participants noted that she was feeling good about her body while she was in basketball practice, but when she was with her girlfriends trying on bathing suits for spring break she became uncomfortable.  She felt her friends had the perfect body, and she felt too muscular.  As she was feeling uncomfortable, one of her girlfriends commented on her ‘boyish’ figure (Krane et al., 2011).  It is no wonder that many athletes do not feel like they fit it with what is culturally accepted as being thin and beautiful.  But how do gain a balance between being happy with your athletic build and what is expected for a culturally fit female?  Is there really ever a happy medium? 

While many women in todays’ society go on extreme diets to achieve that ideal thin body, athletes achieve a close to perfect body the right way.  Many Americans turn to eating disorders, limiting calories, and extreme exercising to lose weight, or tone that flabby skin.  Athletes on the other hand work hard; they work out but also feed their bodies.  Do they pig out on junk food?  No, definitely not.  But they eat what their bodies need, what their bodies crave, and work out daily.

 

Krane, V., Waldron, J., Michalenok, J., & Stiles-Shipley, J. (2011). Body image concerns in female exercisers and athletes: A feminist cultural studies perspective. Women in Sport & Physical Activity Journal, 17.