The Circus Industry: Promoting ED’s

TW: Eating Disorders. Disclaimer: I am in no way a professional on this topic, I aim to share my experience and open a dialogue among the circus community.

How the Circus Industry promotes Disordered Eating:

An industry that makes money off people’s attention will inherently make being thin a currency. People love to watch fit people they find attractive, especially in an industry that is fitness based. What’s problematic is that circus doesn’t have to be performed by a thin person to be good, Unfortunately when companies prioritize booking visibly thin and muscular people, a realization happens, to make money one has to fit into that mold. The way it plays into eating disorders is obvious. If you need to be thinner for a job (much like a model or actor) you will restrict food. This is extremely dangerous for a circus artist who needs food to fuel the level of athleticism they require. However being a circus artist doesn’t mean always being educated about nutrition, so many people do what they know and restrict instead of finding education on how to properly fuel their body.

It’s been a topic that has been on my mind a lot this year. I’ve seen an abundance of talented people in the circus industry struggle with disordered eating and very few people talk about it. It’s very ingrained in the culture and I’m unsure if it will ever change completely. Regardless, I think it’s important to talk about and bring attention to this very real epidemic. Fitness and nutrition can be so empowering, but it can also create a version of yourself that restricts and controls food to the point of being unsafe. This goes for anyone, not just circus athletes.

For my first “official” post I wanted to write about something that circus has made me very passionate about. It’s a sensitive subject for most people, especially circus performers.

It’s apparent to the general public, whether we admit it or not, that food anxiety is immensely prevalent in Western culture. I think it’s impossible to grow up with this influence and not brush up against disordered eating at some point, no matter how you’re raised. In a society that equates thin-ness to beauty and virtue, it creates impossible standards which are damaging to the psyche, especially for people raised as women.

As heavy as these pressures are in the everyday world, it becomes even loftier when pursuing circus as a career. The level of athleticism makes it profoundly important in the industry to conform to these standards (as well as others including race, gender orientation, ability level, and perceived sexual orientation.) to have the most favorable chance of being hired.

It becomes very frustrating to witness, as circus does not require thin-ness to be excellent at a discipline, but it does have a huge factor in a job application. I am interested in seeing how a diverse body type can bring value to a cast.

What is equally frustrating is that education on nutrition is severely lacking, exceptionally so in America. In schools and society healthy eating is emphasized yet finding that information in a scientific, un-opinionated way is rare. There is so much misinformation about food that becomes supported by influencers that back these claims. They use their bodies achieved through disordered eating to prove their point and sell their latest “hack” to get skinny. And while there are positive creators, it’s still so prevalent, hence spaces like “SkinnyTok”.

These influencers fuel the morality and guilt behind different kinds of food. The idea of being “good” or “bad”, creating never-ending stress around food. Is some more nutritionally dense than others? Sure. But saying some are good and some bad just puts more importance and obsession on it.

This mindset on food has created so many unhealthy views in both directions. Using morality as a tie to healthy eating, and the idea that the motivation to eat healthy is vanity driven, has made people craving this higher status severe in their eating patterns and promotes hostility against people who have not taken their diets to the extreme.The effect is an opposite perspective where people see this behavior and swing the other way, not realizing healthy eating is important for mental and physical health no matter a person’s size. Both places hold so much disdain for the other that it creates the inability to find a balance. Fitness and nutrition can be so empowering, but it can also create a version of yourself that restricts and binges food.

In a circus sense, I hope to see a shift in the future with body diversity in casting, as well as support for circus artists' nutrition. The passion I have for this subject has come through my experience and the first hand accounts I’ve had with many others about disordered eating. I know many people are suffering and I wanted to navigate this topic with the circus community and have a space to share insight, education, awareness and call for change. It’s a hard topic but crucial to speak about if we as performers want to see change in the industry.

Please reach out to me if you’d like to share thoughts or questions with me at ashgmeyer1@gmail.com. I’d love to make another post to share first hand stories you’ve experienced in circus regarding this subject (anonymously of course unless specified otherwise) or to give my thoughts, advice, or insight into questions. I am in no way a nutritionist, dietitian, or professional, just someone who is eager to see more content and awareness of this very common struggle.

If you need support please reach out to me, a trusted loved one, or a professional. You are not alone!

Cheers,

Ash