CWA Blog Archive-Shining Light On Eating Disorders In Climbing

Shining Light On Eating Disorders In Climbing

Pdf Summary

This article covers Caroline Treadway's documentary LIGHT, which brings attention to the largely ignored issue of eating disorders in climbing, and reflects on the culture that surrounds it. The author frames the piece around a sobering coincidence: the night after interviewing Treadway, they overheard two climbers at their local gym discussing cutting weight to send, the first time in years of attending gyms across the US they'd heard such a conversation. Pro climber Angie Payne, a main subject of the documentary, recalled hearing the exact same kind of exchange, prompting her question of whether it's just going to be a cycle that repeats forever. The documentary follows multiple professional climbers, including Payne, who chronicle their inner struggles with disordered eating and grapple with the success that accompanied it. Treadway says her overall goal was to get people talking about the largely ignored issue, and the article credits her with succeeding. The piece thoughtfully examines the cultural dynamic underlying the problem: as climbers, we often tie our self-worth to how hard we can send, quoting pro climber Emily Harrington on how that success became the most important thing in the world to her at the time. The throughline is that eating disorders are a serious, underdiscussed issue in climbing, and that Treadway's documentary LIGHT performs the essential work of breaking the silence by getting people talking. This is a sensitive topic, and anyone personally affected by disordered eating is encouraged to seek support from qualified professionals and resources such as the National Alliance for Eating Disorders helpline.

Asset Caption

This piece covers Caroline Treadway's documentary LIGHT, which breaks the silence on eating disorders in climbing by following pro climbers, including Angie Payne, who share their struggles. It examines how climbing culture ties self-worth to performance, raising awareness of a long-ignored issue. A sensitive topic; those affected are encouraged to seek qualified support.