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I found it shocking and irresponsible that in his review of Chmelar and Fitt's Diet for Dancers, Matthew McCarthy chose to take a few phrases out of context to paint a completely inaccurate portrait of what is the best book I've read on diet and nutrition for dancers.
Chmelar and Fitt are not telling dancers they have to be thin; rather they are reporting the realities that face most dancers who pursue careers in theatrical performing dance and encourage dancers who do not fit the body composition standards for being a professional ballet dancer to seek a style of dance that suits their bodies.Chmelar and Fitt are the only authors I know of who have assembled actual research on the body compositions of15 female professional and university, ballet and modern dancers and compared them to those of five kinds of female athletes.These results show that such dancers need to fit into a pretty narrow range of percent body fat and weight relative to height.For example, university female ballet dancers have a percent body fat range of 9.6% to 20.5% , an average weight of 117.7 +/- 10.4 pounds, and an average height of 65.3 +/-2.0 inches. Similar values are given for female university modern dancers as well as professional ballet and modern dancers.These values are substantially below what is considered an average healthy weight for nondance women.Yet the values for these same categories of male dancers are very similar to those of healthy nondance men.So it is the research that shows that female dancers have to maintain a lower than healthy average body weight; Chmelar and Fitt are simply reporting the facts.Mr. McCarthy seems to be shooting the messenger.
Yet C&F do more than simply report the facts; they also give their opinions on how to promote healthy weight expectations for female dancers.In the section "Professional Realities and Ethical Considerations" p43 C&F write, "In no way can this or any other book dictate what a school or company's weight standards should be...We can offer guidelines based on our current knowledge, but any dancer who reaches professional status is bound to be met by strict standards.... Directors, faculty, and students in university programs should ask themselves a number of questions (some of which mighght also be considered by professional companies) such as:Should we have weight standards?If so, how strict should they be for performing-emphasis students?Should we have weight standards for students going into nonperformance dance fields? What kind of policy should we have for students who don't meet weight standards?Are we familiar with appropriate referral sources for students with eating disorders?How do we strike a health balance between ensuring our dancers are healthy yet meet the aesthetic standards of dance?And what are those aesthetic standards?
There are obviously a variety of answers to these questions; however, the important thing is that they be discussed openly among faculty and student representatives."To me this shows an exceedingly responsible attitude on the part of the authors for both recognizing the pressures of the real world in certain areas of dance and in encouraging dancers, instructors, and directors to recognize their responsiblities in shaping healthy aesthetic expectations for body weight among dancers.
Also, in the section "Genetic Influences on Body Composition" C&F advise dancers who don't fit the ballerina mold. On p44 they write: "Research conducted by former New York City Ballet dancer Linda Hamilton....underscores the pivotal role genetics plays in determining a person's body composition.For those dancers seeking a career with a professional ballet company, this issue should be carefully considered.Dancers who do not naturally tend towards such thinness can certainly use appropriate diet and exercise measures to help get them to their desired body weight; however, sooner or later they may have to choose between battling their inherited body traits and modifying their dance goals.For those dancers not born with sylph-producing DNA, energy can be refocused toward dance careers that do not require an ultra-thin body, and also toward maintaining a healthy, fit body composition rather than trying to force an unhealthy skinny one. [Emphasis added.]."
This is as far from "shocking and irresponsible" as I can imagine.It's easy to make a book seem like something it's not by taking a few phrases out of context.Mr. McCarthy's review makes me wonder if he read the same book I did.
Mr. McCarthy recommends that dancers "buy a book about healthy nutrition instead."I know no other book that explains the way diet and exercise interacts as it applies to dancers, lists the functions of all vitamins and minerals, and notes those nutrients in which research has shown dancers to be deficient.If dancers want a book that is both about healthy nutrition and also applies to their specific dietary needs, this is it.I'm only sorry that the dancers at the London Contemporary School of Dance will not have access to this book in their school library.
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Diet for Dancers: A Complete Guide to Nutrition and Weight Control [Paperback]Product Description: The first diet book based on research with dancers, this guideprovides information about proper dietary procedures that will enablepeople to reach and/or maintaintheir optimal body weight for dancing. Areas discussed include weight control, individual differences in metabolism, and body composition.
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The book's cover may deceive you.I guess they've got to do something to get your attention! Upon reading the book I liked the simple fitness tests recommended, these are:1 minute pushups, I minutesitup test, and the 1 min chair squat.How simple, but still powerful! this is really helpful for the lady who doesn't have time to go through all the appointment setting, finding a baby sitter and the list goes on.
