Female Athlete Triad

There's a disorder for that...
This is from an article on the teens section of kidshealth.org. Good awareness raising, guys. I like that the preamble asserts the benefits of exercise instead of just launching into the doom-and-gloom. Of course, this problem isn't limited to youngsters. I knew a climber (30's) who hadn't had a period in a decade.

What is Female Athlete Triad?

Sports and exercise are part of a balanced, healthy lifestyle. Girls who play sports are healthier; get better grades; are less likely to experience depression; and use alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs less frequently than girls who aren't athletes. But for some girls, not balancing the needs of their bodies and their sports can have major consequences.

Some girls who play sports or exercise intensely are at risk for a problem called female athlete triad. Female athlete triad is a combination of three conditions: disordered eating, amenorrhea (pronounced: ay-meh-nuh-ree-uh, which means loss of a girl's period for 3 or more months), and osteoporosis (pronounced: oss-tee-oh-puh-row-sis, meaning a weakening of the bones). A female athlete can have one, two, or all three parts of the triad.