Professor and clinical researcher David M. Garner, PhD, has been studying eating disorders for more than 30 years. He currently serves as president of the board of directors of the River Centre Foundation, a nonprofit organization that promotes a better understanding of the causes and treatments of eating disorders. Residing in Toledo, Ohio, Dr. David M. Garner’s research began in the 1980s when he studied eating disorders in particular professions.
Dr. Garner’s study titled “A Prospective Study of Eating Disturbances in the Ballet” researched the prevalence of anorexia nervosa in a group of ballet students, and while completed more than 30 years ago, the condition is still a common part of ballet. Many studies attribute the pervasiveness of this particular eating disorder with media images, but in occupations where body aesthetic plays a huge role, professionals feel the pressure to remain thin to succeed, and thus succumb to the condition.
In previous eras and now, ballet has been one of the professions in which the incidence of anorexia nervosa in dancers has increased. At the time of the study in 1987, 25 percent of the dancers experienced symptoms of the condition with 14 percent qualifying as bulimics. However, according to an article published in the Washington Post some 30 years after this and other studies, there is an even greater prevalence of both eating disorders.
In fact, the latter article hints that ballet culture in some way might give rise to this condition. While nothing is said explicitly, dance students and professional dancers understand body expectations through unspoken messages. This is especially made apparent when thinner dancers are chosen for choice roles, inadvertently sending messages about body expectations.
On a bright note, the dance community has recognized and acknowledged the problem. In recent years, some schools have integrated nutritional programs in an effort to proactively address the prevalence of these disorders.
Dr. Garner’s original study can be found at researchgate.net/publication/19655632_A_Prospective_Study_of_Eating_Disturbances_in_the_Ballet.
Dr. Garner’s study titled “A Prospective Study of Eating Disturbances in the Ballet” researched the prevalence of anorexia nervosa in a group of ballet students, and while completed more than 30 years ago, the condition is still a common part of ballet. Many studies attribute the pervasiveness of this particular eating disorder with media images, but in occupations where body aesthetic plays a huge role, professionals feel the pressure to remain thin to succeed, and thus succumb to the condition.
In previous eras and now, ballet has been one of the professions in which the incidence of anorexia nervosa in dancers has increased. At the time of the study in 1987, 25 percent of the dancers experienced symptoms of the condition with 14 percent qualifying as bulimics. However, according to an article published in the Washington Post some 30 years after this and other studies, there is an even greater prevalence of both eating disorders.
In fact, the latter article hints that ballet culture in some way might give rise to this condition. While nothing is said explicitly, dance students and professional dancers understand body expectations through unspoken messages. This is especially made apparent when thinner dancers are chosen for choice roles, inadvertently sending messages about body expectations.
On a bright note, the dance community has recognized and acknowledged the problem. In recent years, some schools have integrated nutritional programs in an effort to proactively address the prevalence of these disorders.
Dr. Garner’s original study can be found at researchgate.net/publication/19655632_A_Prospective_Study_of_Eating_Disturbances_in_the_Ballet.
