Focusing on your appearance because you're concerned about what others think about the way you look is not. This is another red flag, says Susan Kendig, a nurse practitioner at the Women's Healthcare Partnership. Trying to transform genetically heavy legs into willowy twigs is a waste of physical and mental energy. Daily weigh-ins are obsessive, Clark says. Also, because muscle weighs more than fat, numbers on a scale can be a poor indicator of a healthy body.
Female athletes have reason to value their physiques.
Sadly, many female athletes, especially teens, struggle with negative body image. At the opposite end of the spectrum, use of steroids has doubled among teenage girls since 1991, reports the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Coaches, trainers and parents can play important roles in heading off trouble. Because muscle weighs more than fat, for example, athletes should be dissuaded from measuring fitness by the scale. Fortunately, attitudes are changing.