Resumen de Body dissatisfaction and eating disorders in acrobatic gymnasts as a function of competition level

Alicia Salas-Morillas, Agueda Gutiérrez Sánchez , Eva Mª Peláez Barrios, Mercedes Vernetta Santana

• Introduction: In gymnastics sports, including AcrobaticGymnastics (AG), there is a prevalence of Eating Disorders(ED). One of its main causes lies in body dissatisfaction.Therefore, the objectives of this study were: a) to know andcompare the risk of ED and body dissatisfaction in a group ofnational level GA athletes at two levels of competition, b) toestimate if there are gymnasts who meet any of the criteriafor referral to a health centre.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was con-ducted with the participation of 74 national female gymnastsin the Youth and Age Group categories. Height and weightmeasurements were used to find body mass index (BMI) andbodyfold for % body fat (%BF). The Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI 3-RF) and the BodyShape Questionnaire (BSQ) were used for the variables BodyDissatisfaction and the EDI 3-RF was also used for the vari-able EDI 3-RF for the variable ED.Results: The results showed that there are low percent-ages of gymnasts at risk of ED, finding body dissatisfaction asa possible antecedent for the presence of these disorders. Conclusions: The higher category age group gymnastsstand out for a higher risk of developing ED and body dissat-isfaction, as they present higher levels of Obsession for thin-ness, bulimic behaviours and body dissatisfaction, but without significant differences. Signals a possible onset of risk inhigher categories.