Eating behavior and body image of professional dancers associated with perceptions in the work environment

Dance sets physical patterns that pose constant challenges to dancers. Objective: To analyze the eating behavior and body image of professional dancers and their perception of issues related to food in the workplace. Materials and Methods: 52 dancers, 26 men and 26 women, from professional dance companies were evaluated. The Disordered Eating Attitudes Scale (EAAT) was used to assess eating behavior, the Brazilian Silhouettes Scale to assess body image perception and a semi-structured questionnaire to analyze the perception of the topic of eating in the workplace. Results: Although the majority were eutrophic (86.5%), women and men were equally dissatisfied with their body image, with the female group mostly wanting a smaller silhouette (69.2%) and the male group wanting a smaller silhouette (38.5%) or greater (34.6%). Little dysfunctional eating attitudes were identified in both genders, with a possible and slightly higher risk of developing eating disorders for men. Self-demanding for being in shape proved to be superior to pressure exerted by third parties, although vertical and horizontal surveillance is perceived. Most report that the topic of food is not addressed frequently and responsibly within the work environment. Conclusion: Self-demanding for being in shape and high body dissatisfaction may be related to a specific requirement of the dance universe. The relationship between dancers, superiors and their peers does not seem to be conflicting for this agenda, although the scarce approach to the topic reflects little attention from institutions on this issue.