Sport Climbing kicks off at the Olympics in Paris next week.

It's a strength-to-weight ratio sport. Meaning, aside from your technique or mental game, the lighter you are relative to your strength, the easier it'll be to get up a wall.

That's led some climbers to fall into the mindset that losing weight is the path to better performance.

One recent study of 50 elite climbers found that more than a third intentionally lost weight before a competition — primarily by fasting and skipping meals, and occasionally by using laxatives, or vomiting.

The mindset that lighter is better is what led one young climber, Jake Scharfman, to develop an unhealthy relationship with his weight.

For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

Email us at [email protected].

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy