Liz McColgan, former athlete and mother of prominent Scottish runner Eilish McColgan, has publicly condemned social media users who have made derogatory comments about her daughter’s appearance. The situation arose following a recent video shared by Eilish, 34, showcasing her training on a treadmill, which garnered negative attention online.

Several users on social media accused Eilish of having an eating disorder, specifically anorexia, with one user stating: “Just an anorexic girl on the treadmill.” Another comment read: “Give that girl a burger!” In response, Liz highlighted the ignorance behind these remarks, sharing screenshots of the comments and labelling them as “stupid.”

Liz explained that elite runners often possess lower body fat due to the nature of their training and performance requirements. “There are some very naturally tall slim women in the world as well as shorter plumper women,” she noted. She stressed the importance of understanding that athletes need proper nutrition to fuel their bodies. “Your body needs to be fueled properly by eating or your body will not perform especially for marathons,” she stated.

Concerned about the harmful effects of such remarks, Liz continued, “My concern as a parent is not for Eilish as she is of a strong enough character to deal with these people. My concern is for other kids, athletes that are not so strong of character to deal with demeaning and abusive comments on their appearance.”

Eilish herself has responded to the accusations, firmly asserting that someone with anorexia would not be able to maintain her rigorous training regimen, which allowed her to compete in four Olympic Games. “A person with anorexia wouldn’t be able to do the training I do, nor make four Olympic Games. I think you need to actually research how serious anorexia is,” she remarked.

This incident is not isolated; Eilish revealed in January that she had been subjected to “constant abuse” regarding her appearance, with Facebook users labelling her as “skinny and frail.” At that time, she expressed frustration with the casual way in which some people misuse the term anorexia, stating, “I hate when they throw around the word anorexic as well because that is a serious disease. People are hospitalised from anorexia, they do not make four Olympic games, they do not break British records or European records or represent their country over almost 15 years.”

As the conversation continues, the focus remains on the broader implications of body image discussions in the realm of athletics, particularly for female athletes who often face scrutiny for their physical appearance.

Source: Noah Wire Services