'Slim-to-Win' to Injury: How Swimmers' are Engaging with 'Health Risk' Culture due to Entrenched Body Ideals

Culturally accepted bodies within elite sporting cultures point to entrenched “slim-to-win” ideologies. Consequently, sporting insiders (e.g., coaches, team managers, athletes) perceive “slim” and “fatless” body shapes as a necessary means in order to achieve competitive performance. As such, body practices centring on a “slim-to-win” ideology are practiced through publicly conducted daily weigh-ins, regular skin fold tests, surveillance of athletes’ body shape and eating. As a means of attaining the ideal and culturally accepted shape, athletes’ health and well-being is being compromised within the context of the “slim-to-win” ideology. Indeed, many athletes are becoming injured as they attempt to conform their bodies to a shape which is perceived to enhance competitive performance. Within the present chapter, the focus is on the ways in which one sporting culture (i.e., swimming) has taken up the “slim-to-win” ideology and how, in response, athletes have come to engage with health risk culture (e.g., overdosing on laxative medication; taking illicit substances such as methamphetamines; throwing up after meals; risky medical intervention; overuse injuries). The ways in which long-term health and well-being of athletes is comprised in relation to these practices, in the name of competitive performance, are also of interest

Sport Media Research: Examining the Benefits for Sport Injury Psychology and Beyond

Within the present chapter, the benefits of studying the media as a cultural site to expand sport injury psychology research are explored by bringing together research in sport sociology, sport communication, and sport psychology. To accomplish this purpose, what constitutes “sport media research” is outlined, followed by research in sport sociology concerning risk culture to contextualize sport media work on injury. Media research focusing on sport injury is then presented to show the value of studying the media as a sociocultural site of analysis and to learn more about sport injury meanings, athlete identities, and the implications. We conclude with future research avenues and centralize three critical discussion questions to spark interest on media work in sport injury psychology