Growing up as a ballet dancer, I have witnessed this topic firsthand. I am interested in this because I have seen how much this effects people and how common it really is. Throughout my life I have been in many dance companies, competitions, auditions and performances. I have personally experienced the pressures that are put on elite, adolescent ballet dancers. I have also noticed that some people do not handle the pressures as well as others, which has made me interested in learning more about this issue. Since I have grown up my whole life surrounded by this, I believe that it makes me qualified write about it. I have watched peers struggle with eating disorders and body image issues. I have felt the constant feeling of needing to be "perfect" and to look a certain way. If one doesn't look a certain way, the next person will beeches in their place, creating a feeling of constant competition. As someone who has witnessed all of these things firsthand, it makes me want to learn more about it and make more people aware of this extremely common problem.

The first source is an article called "Eating Disorders in Dancers", by Jerome and Diana Schnitt. This article discusses the general relationship between eating disorders and adolescent ballet dancers. The main idea of this article is about how female ballet dancers are at a much higher risk for anorexia nervosa than the general population.  This source also talks about how the "normal weight" for the general population is considered "overweight" by a dancers peers, teachers, and self. It explains how ballet is the most weight obsessed group in the country. Dr. Jerome Schnitt is Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine and Diana Schnitt is the Chairman of the Dance Department and Assistant Professor at Connecticut College. They are credible in talking about this topic because of their areas of study and positions in their jobs.

The next source is "Tiny Dancer: Body image and Dancer Identity in Female Modern Dancers", by Susan W. Langdon and Gina Petrecca. The authors of this article are both professors of psychology at Bates College. This article was found from a reliable source. It was written by two credible professors who have been studying this topic for a while, and not just by uneducated people posting random words on the internet. This article discusses different types of dancers, and how they compare in terms of their body images, and rates of disordered eating. A main part of this article is whether or not dance enhances or undermines body image. The authors concluded that body image is completely dependent on the level and type of dance. They said that established dancers have a more negative body image and higher rates of disordered eating. A ballet environment encourages dancers to lose weight and stay slender, while other types of dance are more laid back and easy going. Therefore, the authors state that non balletic types of dancing have a much more positive body image.

The last source is "Predictors of Eating Pathology in Adolescents: A Comparison of Ballet Dancers and Non-Dancers". This article mainly discusses how adolescent dancers are at a much higher risk for eating disorders than adolescent non-dancers. Eating disorders in dancers are common due to the sport's demand for a specific body weight and look.  The author discusses the idea of perfectionism and how it leads ballet dancers to strive for the ideal thin body, sometimes causing body image issues or eating disorders. Many dancers believe that losing weight will improve their ability and success in ballet. Many professional and preprofessional ballet companies have prevention programs to help promote a healthy body and overall well being. The author of this article,  Alison Spadafora, has a Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Windsor.  She is an educated author who has done a lot of research on this topic before writing about it, therefore making her a credible and reputable source.

This research question is definitely arguable. There have been plenty of experiments and research done on this topic, therefore providing many credible statistics and information. All of this research can very clearly prove that ballet dancers are at a much higher risk for eating disorders than the general population. Each of the three sources used compare adolescent ballet dancers to other people, including modern dancers, non-dancers, males, etc. Those articles prove that ballet dancers have the highest rate of disordered eating and negative body image out of anyone. Each of the sources seem to agree with each other and have the same opinion on the topic. I was not able to find any sources that disagreed with this opinion. 

