A U. S. psychiatrist who specializes in eating disorders, says that the control and perfectionism of Olympic figure skating can have a darker side.

In a two-part column on DailyStrength. org, Dr. Kimberly Dennis, medical director at Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center, says, that a former national champion figure skater estimates some 80 percent of national level competitors suffer with eating disorders or serious body image issues.

According to Dennis, aesthetic sports like figure skating and gymnastics often sanction behaviors more consistent with eating disorders than healthy living, and some competitors may suffer lifelong physical and psychiatric complications. Olympic athletes also project an unrealistic body image that influences younger competitors and the public watching on television.

Dennis says in a statement," Olympic figure skaters will get lots of attention for their artistry and technical skill, and much will be said about their stories of hard work and sacrifice. Viewers should also realize how unrealistic the images they see on TV are, and how severe are the costs paid by many of those women to achieve those results."

The likelihood of competitors developing anorexia or bulimia figure have been increased by skating officials by implementing scoring standards that increasingly emphasize technically complex jumps and spins that defy laws of gravity, says Dennis. (With Input from Agencies)