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Participation in elite sport, and in particular those sports with special demands in terms of weight and shape, is associated with a higher risk for eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa [Sundgot-Borgen, J., & Torstveit, M. K. (2010). Aspects of disordered eating continuum in elite high intensity sports. "Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports," 20, 112-121]. We report upon research exploring eating attitudes and behaviours within elite gymnastics. The study comprised 42 semi-structured interviews with gymnasts and support staff--34 gymnasts and 9 staff/support staff. The majority of those interviewed were acrobatic gymnasts (22; 16 males and 6 females) with 7 rhythmic gymnasts (all female) and 5 tumblers (all female). The mean age of those gymnasts interviewed was 17.4. A difficulty in precisely delineating extreme eating patterns (disordered eating) from having an eating disorder was noted. Within an elite sports context behaviours thought to be pathological in a more general setting might be fairly commonplace and even functional to the athlete's performance. The extent to which the athlete consents to these patterns of behaviour is problematic given their age and development. We argue that conceptualising consent as "authority to be cared for by a trustworthy coach," more felicitously applies to the child/adolescent elite sporting context, helping us understand not only the focus of the elite gymnast, but also their relationship with the coach and the coaches' responsibilities.

It is widely maintained that sport and physical activities contribute to the development of young people's well-being. Others argue that sports' contribution to good living is so strong that it is even thought to be a human right. Typically, however, the value of physical activity and sport to our well-being is conceptualized and researched within a subjectivist framework. We reject this framework on three grounds: (1) its impermanence; (2) its hedonistic shallowness; and (3) its epistemological inadequacy. In contrast, we argue that the value of sports and physical activities ought to be situated in fundamental arguments about the necessary conditions for human flourishing. According to this objectivist view, there are certain constituents of a good life without which human flourishing becomes impossible. We argue that sports and physical activities offer distinctive ways to help realize these objective constituents. It follows that, to the extent to which certain sections of society are deprived of opportunities to engage in sport and physical activity, or are offered diminished provision thereof, they thereby suffer a deficit in well-being. (Contains 9 notes.)

This paper explores variance in how people morally disapprove wrongs related to doping. The variance may pertain to what type of moral disapproval a person uses or to what they disapprove of. Our exploration is both conceptual and empirical. Conceptually, we distinguish between four types of moral disapprovals that we call blame, judging blameworthy, condemnation and sadness. We elaborate these four moral phenomena through a conceptual scheme that we call the matrix of moral disapprovals. The matrix is the central conceptual innovation of our paper. It depicts how the four moral disapprovals relate to each other and characterises their typical instances. In the empirical part of the paper, we use the matrix of moral disapproval to examine how decision-makers in Finnish elite sport organisations talk about doping. The empirical examination is based on 31 interviews with decision-makers from Finnish elite sport organisations. Although we distinguish between the conceptual and empirical approaches in our paper, they are not fully separate, but support and inform each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The objective was to study nutritional supplement use among young elite UK athletes to establish whether a rationale versus practice incongruence exists, and to investigate the sources of information. Survey data were analysed for association between supplements used and motives for using such substances among young athletes along with the sources of advice and literature precedents on supplement effects. Methods Participants were elite UK male and female athletes, within the age range between 12 and 21 (n = 403), mean age 17.66 ± 1.99. Associations between type of supplements and reasons for using supplements were tested by calculating Pearson's χ2 and the strength of these symmetric associations shown by phi (ϕ) association coefficients. Results Single supplement use was reported by 48.1%, with energy drinks being the most popular, consumed by 41.7% of all athletes and 86.6% of the supplement users in the sample. No agreement was observed between athletes' rationale and behaviour in relation to nutritional supplements except for creatine. Among health professionals, nutritionists and physiotherapists, followed by coaches, were most frequently consulted. Answers regarding reasons and supplements used showed incongruence and suggest widespread misinformation regarding supplements and their effects is an issue for the young athlete. Conclusion Widespread supplement taking behaviour was evidenced in the young elite athlete population with the most notable congruence between rationale and practice among young athletes being performance-related. Young athletes in the present sample appear to be less 'health conscious' and more 'performance focused' than their adult counterparts. Further research, using a full list of supplements, is warranted to test the hypothesis that health consciousness is less dominant in supplement choice by young athletes.

Rare: The High-Stakes Race to Satisfy Our Need for the Scarcest Metals on Earth KEITH VERONESE Prometheus: 2015. Since the late 1990s, more than 5 million people have died in [...]

Recycling cannot meet the demand for rare metals used in digital and green technologies, says Andrew Bloodworth. A more holistic approach is needed. Demand for metals is soaring as the [...]

The article discusses a study which investigates the characteristics of eating disorders in elite girls and women gymnasts, the effects of physical training on gymnasts' growth and sexual development, and the diagnosis and treatment of eating disorder. Topics include the classification of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and binge eating disorder, parental dieting, and the developmental changes among gymnasts.

Copyright of Sport, Ethics & Philosophy is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Elite gymnastics, and other sports where athletes and coaches are particularly concerned with aesthetic considerations, weight and shape, are fields within which the risk of eating disorders may be unusually high. Adolescent gymnasts, developing their own sense of self, at a time of life where body image concerns are common, often compete at the very top of the sport with a need to maintain a body shape and weight optimal for elite performance. Research into this field should address the range of sociological and ethical aspects of eating disorders in elite sport, their prevalence as well as the ethos of the sport itself. This paper addresses a range of conceptual, ethical and methodological issues relevant to conducting research in this sensitive yet important field. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Highlights: [•] This paper introduces a spatial decision support system to assist mineral planning practise in England and Wales. [•] It creates a spatial interaction model to reproduce detailed flows of aggregates. [•] A linear model is used to estimate CO2 emissions associated with the production and transportation of aggregates in response to this baseline situation. [•] A wide range of policy scenarios are explored to reduce CO2 emissions and an indication of the cost-effectiveness of alternative policies is provided. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article focuses on the significance of the strategic metals and minerals to the global economy in 2011. It highlights the importance of minerals for food production, food preparation, and power generation. It states that the critical or strategic metals have increased economic importance and high risk of supply shortage. Moreover, it says that the present reserve and consumption data are not reliable indicators of metal reduction due to its relevance state to the global economy.

The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of the philosophical and ethical underpinnings of anti-doping policy. The nature of sport and its gratuitous logic is explored. The doping rules in sport, such as the Prohibited List, are ways of drawing a line to facilitate a certain sort of competition. Sports can be understood as a means of testing the natural physical abilities of the athlete, combined with the hard work they put into improving their performance. A test promoted by the anti-doping laws. Permitting certain forms of performance enhancement would threaten the special nature of such a test. Doping can be seen as a threat to the integrity of sport, not just because of the rule breaking doping currently entails. The chapter explores the ethical issues that arise with such forms of enhancement, such as fairness, harms to health, and indeed a refusal to accept human limitations. Finally, the criteria upon which a substance or method may be prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is addressed. The 3-part criteria, concerning (1) enhancement, (2) health, and (3) the spirit of sport are described, and literature that takes a critical line is addressed. Particular reference is made to the public health agenda explicit within anti-doping policy., (© 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: The objective was to study nutritional supplement use among young elite UK athletes to establish whether a rationale versus practice incongruence exists, and to investigate the sources of information. Survey data were analysed for association between supplements used and motives for using such substances among young athletes along with the sources of advice and literature precedents on supplement effects., Methods: Participants were elite UK male and female athletes, within the age range between 12 and 21 (n = 403), mean age 17.66 +/- 1.99. Associations between type of supplements and reasons for using supplements were tested by calculating Pearson's chi2 and the strength of these symmetric associations shown by phi association coefficients., Results: Single supplement use was reported by 48.1%, with energy drinks being the most popular, consumed by 41.7% of all athletes and 86.6% of the supplement users in the sample. No agreement was observed between athletes' rationale and behaviour in relation to nutritional supplements except for creatine. Among health professionals, nutritionists and physiotherapists, followed by coaches, were most frequently consulted. Answers regarding reasons and supplements used showed incongruence and suggest widespread misinformation regarding supplements and their effects is an issue for the young athlete., Conclusion: Widespread supplement taking behaviour was evidenced in the young elite athlete population with the most notable congruence between rationale and practice among young athletes being performance-related. Young athletes in the present sample appear to be less 'health conscious' and more 'performance focused' than their adult counterparts. Further research, using a full list of supplements, is warranted to test the hypothesis that health consciousness is less dominant in supplement choice by young athletes.