Development of a booklet outlining nutritional guidelines for adolescent dancers

An overwhelming number of dancers practice poor dietary habits. These practices stem from pressure to have an ultra lean appearance. The nature of the typical dance class perpetuates this problem because it does not burn enough calories to help in weight management. When faced with this problem, dancers choose poor dietary habits and become malnourished. Malnutrition in dancers leads to an increase in frequency and severity of injury. Frequent or severe injuries can lead to a decrease in the dancer's performance or early retirement. In order to combat this negative trend, a booklet was created that provides nutritional guidelines for dancers. The goal of these guidelines is to educate dancers on healthy weight management practices and provide a practical reference for future use. The booklet targets adolescents. This age group is optimal for teaching because they are developing their dietary habits. The booklet is useful for two reasons. First, it provides educational material to correct the lack of practical nutrition information for dancers. Secondly, it will help correct dancers' poor nutritional status.