Is Making Weight in Athletics Determination or Dangerous?

The Myth of Making Weight

If you’ve ever been around competitive sports — wrestling, gymnastics, swimming, track, martial arts — you’ve probably heard it:

“I’ve got to make weight.”

“She needs to drop a few pounds before the meet.”

“He performs better leaner.”

These phrases might sound harmless… even disciplined. But what’s often underneath them is fear, shame, and disordered eating behaviors that can spiral into lifelong consequences.

“Making weight” is not a badge of honor — it’s a warning sign. When we teach young athletes to equate worth, performance, or belonging with a number on a scale, we’re setting them up for burnout, injury, and mental health struggles.

Athletics can be one of the most powerful teachers of life skills — teamwork, leadership, resilience, focus, and integrity.

Those are the skills that translate far beyond the field or gym.

When we shift the conversation from body control to body respect, everything changes.

Instead of:

• “You need to lose weight.”\

  Try:

• “Let’s focus on fueling your body for energy and recovery.”

Instead of:

• “You’re out of shape.”

  Try:

• “How’s your sleep, hydration, and stress management?”

  
  

Because performance doesn’t come from restriction — it comes from rest, recovery, and nourishment.

We know from research that athletes in weight-focused sports have higher rates of eating disorders, depression, and anxiety.And sometimes, the pressure to “look the part” can lead to irreversible harm — low bone density, heart complications, hormonal disruption, and in some cases, fatal outcomes.

Parents and coaches don’t mean to cause harm. Many think they’re helping.But a simple comment like, “You’d be faster if you lost a few pounds,” can echo for years.

What young athletes need most are adults who:

• Model balanced eating.

• Celebrate effort, not appearance.

• Encourage rest as much as reps.

If you’re a coach, ask yourself:

• Am I fostering confidence or comparison?

• Am I talking more about strength and strategy or about size and shape?

• Do my athletes feel safe to speak up when they’re struggling?

If you’re a parent, remember:

• Your child’s relationship with food and their body begins with what they hear and see at home.

• They’re listening when you say you’re “being good” for skipping dessert or “bad” for eating pizza.

  
  

Our words carry weight — sometimes more than the scale ever will.

Let’s bring sports back to what they were meant to be: connection, competition, and character.

Let’s celebrate the athlete who leads by example, the teammate who lifts others up, and the coach who says,

“Fuel your body, trust your strength, and play with heart.”

Because the real victories are measured not in pounds — but in purpose, perseverance, and passion.