Thank you for this post! It resonates a lot with me. Unfortunately, this is an issue not only among female but also among male runners. Having experienced the extreme negative effects of RED-S myself, I try my best to avoid following and watching these unhealthy trends on social media but, like you, I feel like it is becoming harder again.
This is why I like reading your articles on here so much - it's like a safe space where I don't feel so alone with my experiences 😅
I especially like your last few sentences: You need to be strong, not super skinny, and the healthiest version of yourself (whatever this may look like for the individual) to be able to do ultra running and other sports in a healthy and independent way for the rest of our lives.
Thanks again for sharing! All the best from Austria!
Thanks so much Tobias! I never mean to ignore the male component, it’s just not my lived experience so I don’t feel like I have the authority to discuss it in much depth. So I thank you so much for sharing! <3
I feel exactly the same! As a tween/teen in the early aughts heroine chic era who tortured myself to look.... still chubby in Christina Aguilera-style low rise jeans and didn't start ED recovery until I turned 30, I am in pain at this moment. I am absolutely devastated for all the 9-16 year old girls right now who will be working (or not) to undo this damage to their psyche for the rest of their lives. And same... I have to curate my social feeds to a very specific degree. Have unfollowed hiking/outdoorsy influencers because they talk about or show their bodies in ways that trigger me, even a few who are creating "ED recovery" content. But also have unfollowed some who just *are* thin in the way I used to long to be, because I found myself looking at them jealously and it was messing with my brain. We have to protect ourselves on an individual level, but I worry that that takes me out of the broader discourse which might help others. Anyway... thanks for sharing!
Thank you as always Jenny for sharing your thoughts. I thought it was just me that was seeing this trickle down into my feeds, but it is part of the shape of culture at the minute. I've done a bit of unfollowing, and actively seeking out profiles that show off different body types.
And I also ground myself by looking at real people doing real things in real time, not through the filter of social media. Yesterday evening there were nearly 400 runners of all shapes, ages, fitness and competitive levels doing a ~5 mile race as part of the Notts AAA Summer League. I was feeling particularly fatigued after several bad night's of sleep and low appetite/fuelling, so internally shifted my monologue to "let's enjoy the woods" rather than fretting about pacing and positioning. And it made a difference!
But I know that mindset shift is only possible because I've developed better interoception skills through years of trial, error, natural cognitive changes and professional counselling. And up to the heatwave I'd been in a pretty good place stress-levels wise. But that "grey line" you mentioned is so real, and so easy to miss when in a bad spot.
There will never be a perfect solution, and awareness and observation remain a life-long messy practice rather than a neat programme to complete!
I've thought about this.. In my orienteering world it's the men, especially the older ones sometimes up to their 80s(!) who seem on the thin side. The women of that age look stronger and healthier.
Personally I try and keep extra weight off because of a very dodgy worn away knee ( I'm coming up to 70 next year) I have stopped doing long audaxes on the bike as they mess up my metabolism. Thinner people's skin seems to wrinkle and age more…
I'm not sure that the rather underweight looking 60+ aged men watch their weight - they just become obsessed with winning events and train a lot. No time to eat I expect!
But I do agree that there is extra pressure placed upon us women where skinny = good. I wish there was more emphasis on healthy diets
Thanks for writing this! As an older endurance athlete I still see a trend of otherwise healthy over middle aged people of both genders falling into this runners world trap of ‘skinny equals fit” and “skinny equals healthy”
Then they wonder why they are the first to drop from a bike race or Long hike. I will always argue that fit is fit and skinny is skinny. They are entirely different subjects.
As a father of four adult daughters this trend and feed and greed fueled push makes furious. Thanks again for being one of the vital counter voices!!
Not really relevant to pop culture or celebrities, but a lot of people at my work are doing that jab thing to lose weight. I’m not sure why people would stick something in them when there is almost zero research and information out there about what it does or doesn’t do to your health long term. Then I again I suspect some nobody television celebrity started the trend 🙄
It is not the safest approach to see them as idols because I would like to say every body is totally different and any body type can perform at their best in different shapes & sizes. If you see Hans Troyer, Will Murray, Jim Walmsley and on the other side Zach Miller, Rajpaul Pannu and others as well. The way a body looks has to do very little with what is its peak potential.
It is all about being comfortable in your skin and being the healthiest version of yourself all the time. There is no way one should negotiate with their bodies as we just get one body in a lifetime and it should be kept with utmost urgency & preciseness.
Personally speaking I have never felt I should look like this or that. I never looked upon anyone for the body type. I don't know but this thought never popped into my mind even for once in the 28.5 years I am alive and I feel pretty happy for this. Outside body image, my internal monologue is a big time bully in different manner.
Thank you for this post! It resonates a lot with me. Unfortunately, this is an issue not only among female but also among male runners. Having experienced the extreme negative effects of RED-S myself, I try my best to avoid following and watching these unhealthy trends on social media but, like you, I feel like it is becoming harder again.
This is why I like reading your articles on here so much - it's like a safe space where I don't feel so alone with my experiences 😅
I especially like your last few sentences: You need to be strong, not super skinny, and the healthiest version of yourself (whatever this may look like for the individual) to be able to do ultra running and other sports in a healthy and independent way for the rest of our lives.
Thanks again for sharing! All the best from Austria!
Thanks so much Tobias! I never mean to ignore the male component, it’s just not my lived experience so I don’t feel like I have the authority to discuss it in much depth. So I thank you so much for sharing! <3
I feel exactly the same! As a tween/teen in the early aughts heroine chic era who tortured myself to look.... still chubby in Christina Aguilera-style low rise jeans and didn't start ED recovery until I turned 30, I am in pain at this moment. I am absolutely devastated for all the 9-16 year old girls right now who will be working (or not) to undo this damage to their psyche for the rest of their lives. And same... I have to curate my social feeds to a very specific degree. Have unfollowed hiking/outdoorsy influencers because they talk about or show their bodies in ways that trigger me, even a few who are creating "ED recovery" content. But also have unfollowed some who just *are* thin in the way I used to long to be, because I found myself looking at them jealously and it was messing with my brain. We have to protect ourselves on an individual level, but I worry that that takes me out of the broader discourse which might help others. Anyway... thanks for sharing!
Feel you 10000% xx
Thank you as always Jenny for sharing your thoughts. I thought it was just me that was seeing this trickle down into my feeds, but it is part of the shape of culture at the minute. I've done a bit of unfollowing, and actively seeking out profiles that show off different body types.
And I also ground myself by looking at real people doing real things in real time, not through the filter of social media. Yesterday evening there were nearly 400 runners of all shapes, ages, fitness and competitive levels doing a ~5 mile race as part of the Notts AAA Summer League. I was feeling particularly fatigued after several bad night's of sleep and low appetite/fuelling, so internally shifted my monologue to "let's enjoy the woods" rather than fretting about pacing and positioning. And it made a difference!
But I know that mindset shift is only possible because I've developed better interoception skills through years of trial, error, natural cognitive changes and professional counselling. And up to the heatwave I'd been in a pretty good place stress-levels wise. But that "grey line" you mentioned is so real, and so easy to miss when in a bad spot.
There will never be a perfect solution, and awareness and observation remain a life-long messy practice rather than a neat programme to complete!
Amazing advice, and amazing progress! Thanks Katie <3 xx
I've thought about this.. In my orienteering world it's the men, especially the older ones sometimes up to their 80s(!) who seem on the thin side. The women of that age look stronger and healthier.
Personally I try and keep extra weight off because of a very dodgy worn away knee ( I'm coming up to 70 next year) I have stopped doing long audaxes on the bike as they mess up my metabolism. Thinner people's skin seems to wrinkle and age more…
I'm not sure that the rather underweight looking 60+ aged men watch their weight - they just become obsessed with winning events and train a lot. No time to eat I expect!
But I do agree that there is extra pressure placed upon us women where skinny = good. I wish there was more emphasis on healthy diets
Thanks for writing this! As an older endurance athlete I still see a trend of otherwise healthy over middle aged people of both genders falling into this runners world trap of ‘skinny equals fit” and “skinny equals healthy”
Then they wonder why they are the first to drop from a bike race or Long hike. I will always argue that fit is fit and skinny is skinny. They are entirely different subjects.
As a father of four adult daughters this trend and feed and greed fueled push makes furious. Thanks again for being one of the vital counter voices!!
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/may/29/cmat-shares-deep-sadness-over-body-shaming-bbc-radio-1-big-weekend
Not really relevant to pop culture or celebrities, but a lot of people at my work are doing that jab thing to lose weight. I’m not sure why people would stick something in them when there is almost zero research and information out there about what it does or doesn’t do to your health long term. Then I again I suspect some nobody television celebrity started the trend 🙄
yikesssss it's crazy seeing all that IRL!
It's bizarre and seems may not even work long term because of the whole 'body adjusts and reverts to its norm' thing (that undoes most diets).
Seems long term may include: Pancreatitis, Vision problems, Gallbladder problems, Intestinal obstruction, Acute kidney injury | https://www.drugs.com/medical-answers/what-long-term-side-effects-ozempic-3578238/
It is not the safest approach to see them as idols because I would like to say every body is totally different and any body type can perform at their best in different shapes & sizes. If you see Hans Troyer, Will Murray, Jim Walmsley and on the other side Zach Miller, Rajpaul Pannu and others as well. The way a body looks has to do very little with what is its peak potential.
It is all about being comfortable in your skin and being the healthiest version of yourself all the time. There is no way one should negotiate with their bodies as we just get one body in a lifetime and it should be kept with utmost urgency & preciseness.
Personally speaking I have never felt I should look like this or that. I never looked upon anyone for the body type. I don't know but this thought never popped into my mind even for once in the 28.5 years I am alive and I feel pretty happy for this. Outside body image, my internal monologue is a big time bully in different manner.