As Fran Kirby walked out on to Chelsea’s training pitch at Cobham, the voice behind a camera filming her asked: ‘Fran, how are you wearing a jacket?’
The England international replied: ‘Because I get called fat all the time, so I have to cover it up.’
The forward’s remark may have seemed jovial, but it told a story of struggle. Many players in the women’s game feel the pressures of body image. They are subjected to comments about the way they look when they are playing and when they are not.
The consequences can be damaging. Some players will drastically cut back on calories, leading to disordered eating habits, which can in turn increase the risk of injury.
But social media trolls are not the only cause of this; problems can stem from within clubs. Over the years, pros like Fara Williams have spoken about how players would be placed in ‘fat club’ if they were over a certain weight.
Only more recently have the top women’s clubs employed full-time nutritionists who can provide players with expert advice and tailored regimes, rather than generalised programmes.
Kirby’s reflection about her weight features in Chelsea’s documentary Nothing Stops Us. She goes on to talk about how many female players fear carbohydrates because of an assumption that, if they eat too much, they will gain weight.
‘There still is a big fear of carbs,’ Kirby said. ‘Not just in myself, but in the women’s game in terms of fuelling, in terms of being ready for a game, being able to withstand a level for 90 plus minutes. There is that stigma around it as the game is growing.
‘It’s something that should be championed to be strong. If that means you have to eat more, you’re doing the right things that your body needs, not just because of how you look on
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