The female athlete triad is defined as a syndrome consisting of three necessary components: (a) disordered eating; (b) amenorrhoea; (c) osteoporosis.1 The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) published a Position Stand in 1997,1 and at that time indicated a strong need for more epidemiological, laboratory, and clinical data to support the importance of this syndrome. Currently, the prevalence of regular vigorous activity among adolescent girls remains out of reach of the Year 2010 objectives,2 and the problem of overweight among young people has achieved epidemic proportions in the United States and other industrialised countries.3 Our concern is that triad related data may be misinterpreted and used as justification for setting health and social policies that may ultimately counter the US Public Health Service efforts to promote the benefits of athletic participation and an active lifestyle.
© Copyright 2006 British Journal of Sports Medicine. BMJ Publishing Group Ltd of the BMA. All rights reserved.