The following are checklists of issues to consider in creating a positive competitive environment regarding optimal nutrition, a positive body image and peak performance. These lists were developed by a student-athlete focus group at the 2001 Convention and endorsed by the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports.

Student-athletes

Prioritize your health. Remember that your current decisions regarding food, exercise and body weight impact you today and for the rest of your life.

Be sensitive to your body. Warning signs such as fatigue, sluggishness, an irregular or absent menstrual cycle or chronic pain are medical issues that should not be ignored. Your health is being compromised if your "optimal" body composition for performance includes these symptoms.

Realize that hydration is important and your body weight may fluctuate because of water retention, especially if you are female. This is normal.

Modify weight you have added for sport to a healthy level upon completion of college athletics. You should maintain a weight and fitness level appropriate to your profession and lifestyle after college.

Understand that for each student-athlete, there is a unique body composition for performance. Do not try to achieve a body composition or weight based on someone else's performance.

Realize that the same volume of muscle weighs more than fat. Training may result in a leaner body composition (less fat) but a larger number on the scale because of the increased muscle mass. This is especially important to understand if you are just beginning a formal strength and conditioning program.

Know that team weigh-ins or body composition measurements are not acceptable unless undertaken for health issues. The exception would be for a sport like wrestling, which has specific weight categories.

Engage in conversations regarding any potential weight or body composition modifications with nutritional and medical personnel. In most cases, coaches should be removed from this process. Discussions should include: mutual agreement and understanding by all parties; a rationale for change based on the individual's situation; a valid measure to indicate whether improvement occurs in performance and health; and a defined end goal and an established rate (such as a loss of no more than 1.5 percent of body weight per week) to achieve that goal.

Include defined performance measures (such as vertical jump, for example) as a part of any weight modification program to determine if performance truly is impacted.

Understand healthy nutrition choices and ask for help from appropriate health professionals (athletic trainer, team physician, dietitian) if you need more information.

Know where to go for help regarding a teammate's or a coach's behavior before a problem exists. Disordered eating can be "contagious" among teams through peer pressure.

Become empowered through your institution's SAAC or athletics administration to address issues of concern on your campus. Your value to a coach or team is not measured by a number on a scale or skinfold caliper.

Athletic trainers and medical personnel

Emphasize that student-athlete welfare and health is a priority within the athletics program.

Educate athletics department staff members that nutrition, body composition and body image are current issues of concern within the collegiate student-athlete population.

Provide, identify and encourage the use of on- and off-campus resources for student-athletes regarding nutrition, performance, mental health and body image.

Work with athletics department staff to ensure that healthy food choices are provided at campus dining facilities.

Establish a process to identify those student-athletes who are at risk for developing poor nutritional habits and a negative body image. Inform athletics department staff of this target system and channel student-athletes toward a qualified support team.

Provide, identify and encourage the use of a number and variety of qualified support-team members to maximize the comfort level of communication between student-athletes, coaches and administrators.

Continue education on current issues involving nutrition, performance and body image, and provide the information to student-athletes, coaches and administrators.

Advise coaches that team weigh-ins or body composition measurements are not acceptable in most sports.

Realize that every student-athlete's body composition is different and help student-athletes maintain a healthy weight and fitness level appropriate to their current activity level (which may change in times of injury or illness, and periods of inactivity).

Coaches

Emphasize that student-athlete welfare and health is a priority within the athletics program.

Realize that weight gain and weight loss are student-athlete concerns for both females and males.

Provide counseling for graduating student-athletes on the effect of decreased activity on dietary needs and how to maintain a healthy weight after college.

Select restaurants that offer healthy food choices when traveling, including fast food. Also, make sure student-athletes eat enough to maintain a healthy weight and adequate fuel for performance.

Know that team weigh-ins or individual body composition tests are not acceptable unless undertaken for health issues. The exception would be for a sport such as wrestling, which has specific weight categories.

Educate yourself on nutrition and disordered eating issues, including warning signs (see NCAA Sports Medicine Handbook guidelines 2E, 2F and 2G).

Listen and be open to student-athletes' concerns about nutrition off the field or court.

Avoid inappropriate comments about student-athletes' weight, such as "You look like you've lost weight; are you on a diet?" or "You need to lose five pounds in the next week." Instead, incorporate positive comments, such as "If our team conditions more, it'll raise our level of competition. By becoming more fit, we'll have a steady foundation to build on."

Discuss your concerns or ideas about any individuals' weight or body composition issues with nutritional and medical personnel first and see how they suggest handling it. In most cases, coaches should be removed from this process. Discussions should include: mutual agreement and understanding by all parties; a rationale for change based on the individual's situation; a valid measure to indicate whether improvement occurs in performance and health; and a defined end goal and an established rate (such as a loss of no more than 1.5 percent of body weight per week) to achieve that goal.

Athletics administrators

Emphasize that student-athlete health and welfare is a priority within the athletics program.

Emphasize to coaching staff that nutrition, body composition and body image are current issues of concern within the collegiate student-athlete population.

Identify, provide and encourage educational resources on nutrition, performance and disordered eating through NCAA, campus (student health, counseling) or local (hospitals, clinics) support.

Establish a policy that eliminates team weigh-ins or body-composition measurements for student-athletes, unless needed for health issues or competition requirements.

Establish an appropriate student-athlete per diem to allow healthy food choices on road trips. Educate coaches on the importance of providing this option.

Establish a process for a qualified medical team to consider requests for body or weight modification.

Establish a process and a qualified support team to address those with suspected or defined disordered eating problems. Inform all coaches and student-athletes of this support system. Provide a number and variety of qualified team members to maximize the comfort level of communication with student-athletes or coaches.

Work with campus dining services to ensure that healthy food choices are provided in dining halls.

Require all coaching staff members to attend educational seminars based on nutrition, performance, disordered eating and body image issues offered through the NCAA or campus resources.