Comments on: Skating’s not-so-secret Shame

By: kat007

kat007 — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:46:32 +0000

Thank you so much for writing this honest article. It’s sad how fake things become and how distorted reality becomes when everything remotely negative is hidden “behind the scenes” and swept under the rug…

By: Jennifer Kirk

Jennifer Kirk — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:20:57 +0000

Thanks for your comment.

Someone who is bulimic generally knows what good nutrition is. A person with an eating disorder knows what they are doing is wrong, they know that eating dessert will probably end up with them vomiting later in the bathroom, but they can’t help it. It is a compulsion and an addiction.

Unfortunately there is a large misconception that just sending someone who is struggling with an eating disorder to a nutritionist, where they will learn a more healthy way to eat, will help to fix this disease. It doesn’t work. Eating disorders are generally not about food, but rather how someone handles their emotions and the stress in their life. Sorting through emotional issues, working through past traumas, and understanding what role the disease serves in a person’s life is much more helpful than telling them what is good for them to eat.

In terms of skaters advertising for various food companies and eating cakes, I think there’s nothing wrong with that. I feel like everything should be eaten in moderation. Cakes, Subway, and cookies, while probably not the most nutritious foods, don’t make people fat. Eating too much makes people fat. It’s when restrictions are put on a person’s diet, or certain foods become off-limits, that unhealthy habits can become more prevalent. Telling someone what they can and can not eat usually leads to an increase in desire for the foods that they have been told are “bad.” This can lead to binging.

I agree with you that it’s important for younger skaters to meet with a nutritionist at an early age. Learning what encompasses a healthy diet is important for anyone–a skater or non-skater.

By: pauline

pauline — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 01:43:08 +0000

Dear Jennifer,
Thank you for writing about your eating disorder. It is a very very great thing that you overcame your disorder and regained your health. It seems like a big problem not only among figure skaters but even among girls who do not competitive sports.
I have some questions and comments about the article that you wrote.
First of all, wouldn’t many of eating disorders be preventable if people simply maintained a good balanced diet? For example, you write about skaters vomiting their deserts just before the competition, but why eat those deserts in the first place? (especially if you know you’re going to vomit them afterwords).
It is no wonder skaters want to loose weight, considering all the cakes and other very unhealthy goodies they are served at events, just look at the cake at the champs camp on the photos on ice-network, I mean, let’s face it, this is very unhealthy stuff, full of empty calories, trans-fats, etc, the kind of stuff that makes you fat without giving anything good in return. If that is what a skater eats regularly, that is not good from any point of view. And then there is Kimmie Meissner advertising in a Subway commercial (I hope she doesn’t eat there), and other famous skaters advertising all sorts of unhealthy food. I just wonder, wouldn’t the fear of being overweight and as a consequence eating disorders be preventable by simply not eating bad stuff, and eating a well balanced organic diet?
That thing you wrote about coaches restricting oils and butter, and fats from a skater – this comes from ignorance of the coaches about basics of nutrition, and lack of recognition that good fat (saturated and unsaturated, no trans-fat), which includes oil and butter, is a necessity in any diet, not an overindulgence, and any nutritionist will confirm that.
In general I think that athletes who competes at fairly demanding levels (or any athletes) should ideally all work with a nutritionist. Really general public is not well educated about nutrition, we eat what we are used to, and what is advertised to us, which is not always the best. A nutritionist can figure out for them a balanced diet, with the right amount of calories, nutrients, nutritional supplements if necessary, and also educate them about nutrition, so that important decisions concerning health not be left to the coaches to decide. Perhaps a nutritionist should be as much a part of the skater’s team, as are her coach, off-ice trainer, doctor, ballet instructor, etc.

By: “That’s Huge”: Shen & Zhao « jumping clapping man

“That’s Huge”: Shen & Zhao « jumping clapping man — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 02:51:49 +0000

[...] they’re “huge” too…but I didn’t mean in THAT way…apologies to Jenny Kirk), and that sometimes maturity and experience can prevail. This is a message our sport dearly [...]

By: The lights went out And Nicky started to grind | Waiting for the Sun

The lights went out And Nicky started to grind | Waiting for the Sun — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:24:19 +0000

[...] wanted to add Jennz blog. Skatings shame I use to love her and Louanne, kind of like the skaters at the Cape I would drool over. They had [...]

By: Jennifer Kirk - Skating the Issue - The Aftermath - True/Slant

Jennifer Kirk - Skating the Issue - The Aftermath - True/Slant — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:05:33 +0000

[...] this week I posted an article about a very personal and difficult struggle for me. My hope was that by a shining a light on my own [...]

By: Jennifer Kirk

Jennifer Kirk — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:25:39 +0000

To answer your first question, I think it’s a combination of the two. Obviously skating on national television in a little skating dress lends itself for one to be aware of their body. I also think there are some coaches who urge skaters to lose a “few pounds” in order to enhance their jumping ability, which comes into play in terms of the demands of the sport. A problem comes, however, when coaches say seemingly “innocent” comments, like, “your triple lutz will be easier if you were five pounds lighter,” and a skater hears, “you triple lutz sucks at the weight you’re at now. losing five pounds will make it okay, but losing ten will make it better.” Skaters, and athletes in general, are so competitive and strive for perfection, that it’s easy to see how we can sometimes take comments too far.

To answer your second question: I think the prevalence of the disorders today are not only because of the pressures within the sport, but also the pressures we all face in society to be a certain weight and achieve a certain image. It’s impossible to escape these messages of being “thin” is “good,” and I think those messages are played out within the skating world as well.

By: Jennifer Kirk

Jennifer Kirk — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:18:45 +0000

Hey Ann,

I think the best thing is to tell a skater’s coach, or if possible, their parents about your suspicions. The sooner any behaviors are addressed, the better

By: Jennifer Kirk

Jennifer Kirk — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:17:22 +0000

I’m so glad you were able to find help for your disorder, and you have been able to return to the ice. I know recovery has its ups and downs, but I applaud you for staying strong and focusing on your goals.

I would love to talk to you about recovery. Feel free to email me: Jeki815@yahoo.com, and I’ll definitely let you know if I’m planning to go to Valley Ice Center.

By: Skating and Eating Disorders | Required Elements

Skating and Eating Disorders | Required Elements — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:02:18 +0000

[...] Jennifer Kirk (perhaps better known to skating fans as “Jenny”) has a great blog on trueslant.com and she has just written about her eating disorder, which she’s thankfully recovered from. [...]