A meta-analysis examining the body image of athletes and nonathletes found that

although the effect size was small, athletes tended to have a more positive body image

than controls (Hausenblas & Symons Downs, 2001). Aesthetic, ball game, and endurance

sports did not differ from each other. When compared to the control group, college

athletes had more positive body image than club/recreational athletes (Hausenblas &

Symons Downs).

Studies finding athletes at greater risk for eating disorders

 Some studies have found that athletes are at greater risk for developing eating

disorders than nonathletes. For example, Davis (1992) found that high performance

athletes had a greater degree of abnormal dieting behavior and greater concern with body

weight than nonathletes. She also found that even though more athletes than nonathletes

were underweight, the athletes were dissatisfied with their bodies, were dieting, and

wanted to be thinner than the nonathletes did. Finally, she found that excessive weight

preoccupation was most common in gymnasts and synchronized swimmers. Sundgot-

Borgen (1993) found that although there was no significant difference between athletes

and nonathletes classified as at risk for eating disorders, when interviewed, significantly

more athletes than nonathletes were found to have an eating disorder. More specifically,

athletes participating in sports in which leanness was considered important were more

likely to develop eating disorders than both nonathletes and athletes competing in sports

in which leanness was considered less important.

 In a meta-analysis examining female athletes and eating problems, Smolak,

Murnen, and Ruble (2000) found that athletes were more at risk for developing eating

disorders than nonathletes were, although the effect was small. They also found that

certain groups of athletes were at greater risk than nonathletes, including: college women,