Girls and women are more at risk than boys and men, probably due to unreasonable expectations for female body shape and distorted expressions of female beauty portrayed in the media. Boys and men are not exempt from the pressures to modify their bodies. Unfortunately, exploitation of men based on appearance is on the increase, and this is likely to result in greater numbers of males with disordered eating. Magazines covers of men with abdominal muscle definition few can ever achieve are found in every check out stand, next to the women's magazines featuring impossibly thin but full busted female models. Young people view these pictures as the standard of attractiveness and try hard to measure up.
Sports can have a mixed effect on body image as well.
Studies show that girls who participate in sports have higher scores for self esteem and are less likely to be victimized by others. However, it is well known that certain sports which emphasize thinness, like gymnastics, dance and figure skating, put girls at higher risk. Parents and coaches need to give healthy, non-diet messages to teen athletes. Coaches especially have a strong influence on whether an athlete learns to be their best with the body shape and size they have, or ends up wasting precious mental and physical energy on artificial weight goals. Dieting has a negative impact on sports performance.