Leaner, lighter... lethal? Sport climbing's problem with eating disorders

Sport Climbing kicks off at the Olympics in Paris next week. It's a strength-to-weight ratio sport. Meaning, aside from your technique or mental game, the lighter you are relative to your strength, the easier it'll be to get up a wall. That's led some climbers to fall into the mindset that losing weight is the path to better performance. One recent study of 50 elite climbers found that more than a third intentionally lost weight before a competition — primarily by fasting and skipping meals, and occasionally by using laxatives, or vomiting. The mindset that lighter is better is what led one young climber, Jake Scharfman, to develop an unhealthy relationship with his weight. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for C onsider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at considerthis@npr.org . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy