Accountability, monitoring and surveillance: body regulation in elite sport

J Health Psychol. 2012 May;17(4):610-22. doi: 10.1177/1359105311417914. Epub 2011 Sep 12.

Abstract

Regulation of athletes' bodies is commonplace in sporting environments, despite evidence that athletes have a higher risk of developing disordered eating than non-athletes. This article explores how athletes' bodies are regulated in practice, building on examinations of body surveillance in other contexts. Over 40 interactions occurring during body monitoring are analysed. Athletes, pre-emptively or following an explicit request, accounted for their body regulatory behaviours, also working to produce positive athlete identities. Failing to produce an account of improvement was interactionally problematic, making visible athletes' accountability to the institute to regulate their bodies. Implications of body regulatory practices are discussed.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Athletes / psychology*
  • Body Composition
  • Body Image
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Monitoring, Physiologic / psychology
  • Physical Fitness / psychology
  • Skinfold Thickness
  • Social Responsibility
  • Sports / psychology
  • United States
  • Young Adult