
FRIDAY, Oct. 20, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Kids who get discouraged by idealized athletic bodies on social media may end up dropping out of sports, a small study suggests.In a preliminary study of 70 kids who played -- or used to play -- sports, researchers found that some had quit because they thought they didn't have the "right" body for the activity. And most got that idea from media images, including TikTok and Instagram posts.Experts said the findings add to evidence that unrealistic, often "filtered" or "edited," images on social media can make some kids feel bad about their own bodies.And in the case of kids who play sports, the study suggests, those feelings could translate into action: quitting.That outcome would be "heartbreaking," said researcher Dr. Cassidy Foley Davelaar,...