the Klosterhalfen kerfuffle

[bambam1729]

Do you say the same thing about Jarmila Kratochvilova? Because if you are judging Semenya by the way she looks, well.......

Speaking of the way women look, I really don't like the looks of Konstanze Klosterhalfen. She's anorexic. She's going to have problems with female athletic triad. I know you need to be thin to run at the highest levels but her long-term health is more important. My doctor side coming out.

[thedoorknobbroke]

Speaking of the way women look, I really don't like the looks of Konstanze Klosterhalfen. She's anorexic. She's going to have problems with female athletic triad. I know you need to be thin to run at the highest levels but her long-term health is more important. My doctor side coming out.

agree...that is not a healthy look

[Powell]

the Klosterhalfen kerfuffle

Speaking of the way women look, I really don't like the looks of Konstanze Klosterhalfen. She's anorexic. She's going to have problems with female athletic triad. I know you need to be thin to run at the highest levels but her long-term health is more important. My doctor side coming out.

I thought the same thing about her when she emerged at the junior level. But it's been a few years since then, she still looks the same she did back then (she might have actually been even slightly thinner at the WU20C in 2016), she's made great progress athletically and she gives the impression of being healthy and happy with herself. Maybe that's just her natural body shape.

[bambam1729]

And then attention is turned to Klosterhalfen. Women are either too muscular, or too thin...Jesus give me strength!

I brought up Klosterhalfen, and if you think that's inappropriate you have never treated a 20-25 yo woman with stress fractures in their hip, or operated on hip fractures, and seen all the problems that are caused by the female athletic triad. As I said, it was my doctor coming out. I don't give a shit what she looks like from an appearance point of view, I do care what anorexia does to a female body. The loss of bone strength from it at her age is not recoverable.

[Conor Dary]

I brought up Klosterhalfen, and if you think that's inappropriate you have never treated a 20-25 yo woman with stress fractures in their hip, or operated on hip fractures, and seen all the problems that are caused by the female athletic triad. As I said, it was my doctor coming out. I don't give a shit what she looks like from an appearance point of view, I do care what anorexia does to a female body. The loss of bone strength from it at her age is not recoverable.

Right.... appearance has nothing to do with it.... guys have it easier in a way....I got my weight way down...but never had the osteoporosis problems my female international distance friends did....

[jazzcyclist]

Speaking of the way women look, I really don't like the looks of Konstanze Klosterhalfen. She's anorexic. She's going to have problems with female athletic triad. I know you need to be thin to run at the highest levels but her long-term health is more important. My doctor side coming out.

I feel the same way. To be honest I'm surprised someone that thin can run as fast as she can, because when athletes are losing weight, at a certain point the power-to-weight ratio starts decreasing due the loss of power.

[Gabriella2]

I brought up Klosterhalfen, and if you think that's inappropriate you have never treated a 20-25 yo woman with stress fractures in their hip, or operated on hip fractures, and seen all the problems that are caused by the female athletic triad. As I said, it was my doctor coming out. I don't give a shit what she looks like from an appearance point of view, I do care what anorexia does to a female body. The loss of bone strength from it at her age is not recoverable.

I think it's inappropriate because you are not her physician and you have no idea of her medical status and history. You are simply looking at her on TV and making an inappropriate assumption. Implying she may have anorexia - which as you know is a serious mental health disorder, much more than just being underweight & cannot be diagnosed just from looking at someone - is wrong.

Where's your concern for the overweight male shotputters, of which there are many, with huge waistlines and terrible waist-to-hip ratios, far above what is recommended as healthy, who are at risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes etc.? I don't think I've seen anyone call out those walking heart attacks, ever.

Women are objectified in many ways in these forums, whether they be too muscular or too heavy, or too thin. We have all done it - me included, I have talked about Schippers weight - and we should be called out when it's wrong and when it's inconsistent.

[DrJay]

Too bad someone decided to hijack the thread about one of our favorite annual meets in the US.


And I share bambam's concern about anorexia, and had the exact same thoughts about Klosterhalfen. And take note that posters on this board have not been pointing at the many, many other female (or male) middle or long distance runners about their slender or skinny builds, i.e. Klosterhalfen is an exception and looks like stress fractures and more waiting to happen. Has nothing to do with some sort of "ideal" body, but everything to do with a sometimes fatal mental illness.

[Guest]

the Klosterhalfen kerfuffle

I think it's inappropriate because you are not her physician and you have no idea of her medical status and history. You are simply looking at her on TV and making an inappropriate assumption. Implying she may have anorexia - which as you know is a serious mental health disorder, much more than just being underweight & cannot be diagnosed just from looking at someone - is wrong.

Where's your concern for the overweight male shotputters, of which there are many, with huge waistlines and terrible waist-to-hip ratios, far above what is recommended as healthy, who are at risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes etc.? I don't think I've seen anyone call out those walking heart attacks, ever.

Women are objectified in many ways in these forums, whether they be too muscular or too heavy, or too thin. We have all done it - me included, I have talked about Schippers weight - and we should be called out when it's wrong and when it's inconsistent.

Maybe a doctor who knows anorexia when they see it doesn't have to be someone's own physician in order to recognize it. Just maybe. And I think he mentioned his concern stemmed from having operated on young women with the condition, so if he hasn't been opening up male shotputters, perhaps there's the answer to that part as well. Just maybe.

[Gabriella2]

the Klosterhalfen kerfuffle

Maybe a doctor who knows anorexia when they see it doesn't have to be someone's own physician in order to recognize it. Just maybe. And I think he mentioned his concern stemmed from having operated on young women with the condition, so if he hasn't been opening up male shotputters, perhaps there's the answer to that part as well. Just maybe.

I have no doubt the concern is sincere and genuine. But you cannot diagnose anorexia simply by 'seeing it' unless its fairly extreme. What is happening here is he/she is looking at someone who appears underweight and is then diagnosing a serious mental health disorder. You simply cannot do that to her! Not eating enough & being underweight does not equate to anorexia. So lets stop with the anorexia comments, pleeeeaaaase...

And I stand by my comments on no one raising concerns re male shot putters who appear overweight. Because that, my friend, is society for you, and it's obsession with policing the female body.

Now, normal service can resume and I apologise for hijacking this thread! (but, you know, it was quite a big deal)

[bambam1729]

I have no doubt the concern is sincere and genuine. But you cannot diagnose anorexia simply by 'seeing it' unless its fairly extreme. What is happening here is he/she is looking at someone who appears underweight and is then diagnosing a serious mental health disorder. You simply cannot do that to her! Not eating enough & being underweight does not equate to anorexia. So lets stop with the anorexia comments, pleeeeaaaase...

And I stand by my comments on no one raising concerns re male shot putters who appear overweight. Because that, my friend, is society for you, and it's obsession with policing the female body.

Now, normal service can resume and I apologise for hijacking this thread! (but, you know, it was quite a big deal)

I don't know what you do for a living, Gabriella, but I'll stand by my comments that she looks at high risk for female athletic triad, which is what my original post emphasized. If you don't like me using the term anorexic, I will use a similar medical term without the psychological overlay - she is cachectic. And I'll be happy to compare my medical degree and background to yours at any time while you criticize my ability to make those comments.

[DrJay]

And I stand by my comments on no one raising concerns re male shot putters who appear overweight. Because that, my friend, is society for you, and it's obsession with policing the female body.

Most (all?) world class male shot putters are overweight, carrying a lot of extra body fat. Most world class distance runners, male and female, are skinny, underweight by many standards, and I don't recall seeing concern or criticism for that here before. The difference is that Klosterhalfen, anthropomorphically, is an (extreme) outlier among outliers. She is, as bambam said, cachectic.

Maybe you should start a thread discussing the health risks incurred by the body habitus of male shot putters. I doubt any of us would argue that they are not at increased risk for cardiovascular disease later in life.

[Pego]

I don't know what you do for a living, Gabriella, but I'll stand by my comments that she looks at high risk for female athletic triad, which is what my original post emphasized. If you don't like me using the term anorexic, I will use a similar medical term without the psychological overlay - she is cachectic. And I'll be happy to compare my medical degree and background to yours at any time while you criticize my ability to make those comments.

Bambam, you are not the first one whose medical knowledge as well as the ethics Gabriella2 puts to question.

[Gabriella2]

You cannot diagnose KK with anorexia, a mental health disorder, by looking at her on a TV screen. Period point blank.

I mean, that's pretty basic stuff, any qualified medical professional knows this, and any that try and argue they can diagnose KK as anorexic from the TV is talking shite and needs their license taken away.

The really sad thing is you all know this, and you know you can only diagnose it through a combination of physical examination, psychological examination, a number of physical lab tests. Hence all the back tracking.

She appears to be underweight, but have you weighed her or checked her height even? Do you know how much she eats? Showing concern is fine, but don't go flippantly throwing around words like anorexia when you don't know what you're talking about.

As someone that has suffered from eating disorders in the past, I'm pretty shit hot on this and I DO know what I'm talking about.

[bambam1729]

OK, Gabriella, that's it. Call me at 603-662-0413 and we'll discuss this like adults.

As for the message board, that's it for me. Its been a fun 10 years or so. Don't care to deal with people who tell me my medical license should be taken away, or I don't know anything about medical journals, when the people telling me that don't know shit about medicine.

I'll await your call.