’s runners division cross the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge during the 2019 New York City Marathon. By Lucy HicksCoaches often encourage young female athletes to lose weight, expecting the dropped pounds to improve their performance in athletic events.
Indeed, several female runners came forward last year saying they were bullied about their weight by a Nike coach. Now, research suggests the strategy may do more harm than good.“People equate fitness with thinness,” says Nieca Goldberg, a cardiologist at New York University’s Langone Health who was not involved with the work.