Gracie Gold in treatment for eating disorder, depression

[Xela M]

I have experience sometimes the "fat" persons are more flexible.

Natalia Mishkutenok is but one such example. She was more flexible than Katia.

 

[lala]

Natalia Mishkutenok is but one such example. She was more flexible than Katia.

Yes and sometimes the really fat persons are very flexible, too. They can do split etc.

 

[Vagabond]

Nataliya Mishkutyonok's Sports Reference Profile

Height: 5-2.5 (159 cm)
Weight: 110 lbs (50 kg)

That's a BMI of 19.8, which is on the lower side of "Normal."

Anyone who thinks she was fat when she was competing is nuts.

 

[MacMadame]

When I was 100 pounds overweight, I took an off-ice pilates class at the rink. I was one of the more flexible people there and probably the most flexible over age 30. When I lost the weight, I remained about the same flexibility. There were lots of other things about skating that being that heavy did impact negatively, but not that.

 

[skatepixie]

I think you're reading too much into it. Gracie is not a politician or a major media persona. There is not much to be gained from this on Gracie's side. Gracie only had skating. Gracie did not have a concert tour to cancel, had no reality show, and was not running for Congress.

Lipnitskaya, Gracie, etc. ... Have struggled and said publicly what really happened.

Not losing sponsors, etc, is big. And the only way to not skate but still retain the cash flow is to either be injured or, more recently, play the mental health card.

I don't know that Gracie has said "what really happened." No, I don't think she's lying, but it seems to be a very abbreviated form of the truth. She has emotional problems and hasn't been eating right -- this much is true. But I think the assumptions that she wasn't eating enough seem false, as are the assumptions that it was only or primarily skating that caused her emotional issues. Seems like there's also stuff going on in her family -- and I'd hazard a guess that with her dad losing his medical license, she can't afford to lose any income herself.

 

[bardtoob]

Not losing sponsors, etc, is big. And the only way to not skate but still retain the cash flow is to either be injured or, more recently, play the mental health card.

I don't know that Gracie has said "what really happened." No, I don't think she's lying, but it seems to be a very abbreviated form of the truth. She has emotional problems and hasn't been eating right -- this much is true. But I think the assumptions that she wasn't eating enough seem false, as are the assumptions that it was only or primarily skating that caused her emotional issues. Seems like there's also stuff going on in her family -- and I'd hazard a guess that with her dad losing his medical license, she can't afford to lose any income herself.

1) Gracie has not given me any reason to not believe her.
2) Gracie's behavior leading up to this, as indicated by her comments in K&C, messed up moments at events noticed by media, press conferences, etc., support something is wrong of the nature described.
3) All eating disorders to not lead to weight loss (ie bulimia, binge eating disorder, etc.), and some even lead to weight gain.
4) Bringing attention to eating disorders in skating is not bad, regardless of the truthfulness of Gracie.
5) Just because somebody does not want to lose money does not mean they do not have the disorder. Just because somebody gets a cold does not mean their finances have to go to shit.

In other words, I believe Gracie, and have not reason to question her truthfulness. Furthermore, I have nothing to gain from looking for ulterior motives.

 

[skatepixie]

1) Gracie has not given me any reason to not believe her.
2) Gracie's behavior leading up to this, as indicated by her comments in K&C, messed up moments at events noticed by media, press conferences, etc., support something is wrong of the nature described.
3) All eating disorders to not lead to weight loss (ie bulimia, binge eating disorder, etc.), and some even lead to weight gain.
4) Bringing attention to eating disorders in skating is not bad, regardless of the truthfulness of Gracie.
5) Just because somebody does not want to loss money does not mean they do not have the disorder. Just because somebody gets a cold does not mean their finances have yo go to shit.

In other words, I believe Gracie, and have not reason to question her truthfulness. Furthermore, I have nothing to gain from looking for ulterior motives.

I'm not accusing her of lying. Not by a long shot. But I do think she's playing a strategic game, and I don't think its especially brave.

 

[bardtoob]

I'm not accusing her of lying. Not by a long shot. But I do think she's playing a strategic game, and I don't think its especially brave.

Strategic? Brave? I just said that she announce what happened and I believed her. I never made any value judgements, so it is not like you need to quote me to make those points. In fact, I specifically said too much was being read into the situation. I simply think Gracie is a figure skater that is not competing because she has anxiety and an eating disorder, and she told people why with a press release.

 

[skatepixie]

Strategic? Brave? I just said that she announce what happened and I believed her. I never made any value judgements, so it is not like you need to quote me to make those points. In fact, I specifically said too much was being read into the situation. I simply think Gracie is a figure skater than is not competing because she has anxiety and an eating disorder, and she told people why with a press release.

I'm not saying you said she was brave -- but you do seem to bristle at the idea that this was a strategic move or that she would even benefit from such a thing.

 

[bardtoob]

I'm not saying you said she was brave -- but you do seem to bristle at the idea that this was a strategic move or that she would even benefit from such a thing.

I don't think a person needs to hurt themselves more when they are already hurting. Gracie does not need to make the rest of her life a wreck just because she is getting treatment, so, if she is finding a way to to meet her obligations while in treatment, I am fine with that.

 

[skatepixie]

I don't think a person needs to hurt themselves more when they are already hurting. Gracie does not need to make the rest of her life a wreck just because she is getting treatment.

I don't think anyone is saying that. But there is a huge benefit to the announcement. No one can pull sponsorship from her without looking "insensitive."

 

[bardtoob]

I don't think anyone is saying that. But there is a huge benefit to the announcement. No one can pull sponsorship from her without looking "insensitive."

I think the bigger benefit is that she can say what is happening rather than being silent while wild rumors develop.

--------------------

"...but she got hurt, or so they say.
I think she went bonkers.
Whenever a skater disappears
you hear she got hurt.
But you never really know what happened"

~ The motor-mouthed skater friend at Broadmoor in Ice Castles 1978

https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=ice-castles

 

[overedge]

Not losing sponsors, etc, is big. And the only way to not skate but still retain the cash flow is to either be injured or, more recently, play the mental health card.

"Play[ing] the mental health card" is a shockingly insensitive way of describing the situation. The wording implies that the person is exploiting a relatively minor issue to get sympathy or, as you blatantly state, to "retain the cash flow".

Treatment for mental health issues is not a vacation or a day at the spa. It's hard, scary, unpleasant work - and the stigma around mental health makes people even more reluctant to go into treatment, because they think they'll be perceived as crazy or damaged or too wussy to handle the problem themselves.

Rather than casting doubt on Gracie's situation, try to show some sympathy for Gracie and others like her, who can be going through a horribly difficult time.

 

[jenniferlyon]

"Play[ing] the mental health card" is a shockingly insensitive way of describing the situation. The wording implies that the person is exploiting a relatively minor issue to get sympathy or, as you blatantly state, to "retain the cash flow".

Treatment for mental health issues is not a vacation or a day at the spa. It's hard, scary, unpleasant work - and the stigma around mental health makes people even more reluctant to go into treatment, because they think they'll be perceived as crazy or damaged or too wussy to handle the problem themselves.

Rather than casting doubt on Gracie's situation, try to show some sympathy for Gracie and others like her, who can be going through a horribly difficult time.

THIS^^^^^
Mental health issues can be permanently debilitating. Sometimes "getting help" doesn't help. I know people with mental illnesses who are barely able to leave their homes. And yes, they do take their meds every day. The meds help them enough to keep them out of the psych ward, but not much beyond that. I know someone else who "got better" to the point where you can't tell there's anything "wrong" with her. But maintaining this level of health takes up a tremendous amount of this individual's time and energy. Since Gracie has an eating disorder, it's possible that she will struggle with it for the rest of her life. This is not something that goes away after six weeks of counseling and a daily dose of Prozac.

 

[ChiquitaBanana]

I said "Sure, weight is part of a physics equations but other things can be adjusted in the equation besides weight to make a jump work according to Mishin's physics model." ... Within what you quoted.

I read your post as Mishin is wise enough not to car too much about weight as he knows there is more... and rading that Tukt doesn’t have an eating disorder. You don’t know, I don’t know, but .i know she has been put on a scale every week since a long time, so Mishin must monitor and wa ting a control on their weight.

 

[bardtoob]

I read your post as Mishin is wise enough not to car too much about weight as he knows there is more... and rading that Tukt doesn’t have an eating disorder. You don’t know, I don’t know, but .i know she has been put on a scale every week since a long time, so Mishin must monitor and wa ting a control on their weight.

Maybe because I was quoting Tinami Amori ...

 

[ChiquitaBanana]

Maybe because I was quoting Tinami Amori ...

I clearly missed that part... Sorry! But Imstill wantd to point out that he does weight his skaters.

 

[bardtoob]

I clearly missed that part... Sorry! But Imstill wantd to point out that he does weight his skaters.

And I believe you.

 

[Vagabond]

I don't think anyone is saying that. But there is a huge benefit to the announcement. No one can pull sponsorship from her without looking "insensitive."

Inasmuch as the point of a sponsoring an eligible skater is to capitalize on her image while helping her pay for her training expenses while she competes, I suspect that her sponsorships won't be "pulled," as you put it, but she won't be getting any income from them.

 

[Japanfan]

deleted

 

[MsZem]

Not losing sponsors, etc, is big. And the only way to not skate but still retain the cash flow is to either be injured or, more recently, play the mental health card.

Overedge has already posted an excellent response to this argument, but let me add this: mental health issues are a serious thing, and dealing with them is not "playing a card". Members of this community have lost loved ones to mental illness, and we have lost FSUers who struggled with mental illness. Your statement, even if interpreted charitably, was really insensitive. I'm glad that Gracie can acknowledge her mental health issues and get treatment. I hope this helps her live a happier life.

 

[lala]

Nataliya Mishkutyonok's Sports Reference Profile



That's a BMI of 19.8, which is on the lower side of "Normal."

Anyone who thinks she was fat when she was competing is nuts.

I want to clarify I don't think that Natalia was fat. I agreed she was more flexible as Katia.

 

[Japanfan]

I don't think anyone is saying that. But there is a huge benefit to the announcement. No one can pull sponsorship from her without looking "insensitive."

I would think that at this time, sponsorships are the very last thing on Gracie's mind and the minds of her family and team.

She is in a crisis and needs to get well. Without getting well, there won't be a skater to sponsor.

 

[skatepixie]

"Play[ing] the mental health card" is a shockingly insensitive way of describing the situation. The wording implies that the person is exploiting a relatively minor issue to get sympathy or, as you blatantly state, to "retain the cash flow".

Treatment for mental health issues is not a vacation or a day at the spa. It's hard, scary, unpleasant work - and the stigma around mental health makes people even more reluctant to go into treatment, because they think they'll be perceived as crazy or damaged or too wussy to handle the problem themselves.

Rather than casting doubt on Gracie's situation, try to show some sympathy for Gracie and others like her, who can be going through a horribly difficult time.

I view the announcement as separate from the issue itself, and the treatment itself. I don't know how bad her situation is -- it isn't my business really. But I think it's naive to think the announcement was anything other than a money focused move. She could have left it at "dealing with personal issues" or announced a decision to retire. But she made it public in some degree of detail, probably in order to retain sponsors. Nothing wrong with that, really, but I don't think it's brave or any more praiseworthy than the other options.

 

[skatepixie]

Overedge has already posted an excellent response to this argument, but let me add this: mental health issues are a serious thing, and dealing with them is not "playing a card". Members of this community have lost loved ones to mental illness, and we have lost FSUers who struggled with mental illness. Your statement, even if interpreted charitably, was really insensitive. I'm glad that Gracie can acknowledge her mental health issues and get treatment. I hope this helps her live a happier life.

I don't think dealing with them is playing a card -- I think announcing them is, when done by a public figure for some motive.

I also don't think it's an untouchable thing, and that she can do no wrong because of mental health issues. I've had friends who have struggled with that sort of thing, etc, and been very up close to it -- and that makes me a bit jaded, I think. I don't mean any offense to anyone, but I also don't believe in kid gloves online -- if some hypothetical reader can't handle frank discussion of such matters, the thread title should be enough to warn them off.

 

[nimi]

Ah, so "frank discussion" means somebody insisting "it's naive to think the announcement was anything other than a money focused move" even though they admit they "don't know how bad her situation is" because it isn't their business really.

I agree with the last part 100%, but the first part feels less like "frank discussion" and more like "somebody is being a bit of a jerk and talking out of their ass and trying to paint it as being a brave truth-teller with superior insight into a situation they admitted they don't really know about." While exhibiting some sympathy or goodwill is "being naive" and people like that should stay out of the discussion, of course, because internet is only for the jaded and the cynical jerks who want to spread that kind of negativity around.

 

[Japanfan]

I don't think dealing with them is playing a card -- I think announcing them is, when done by a public figure for some motive.

So you're assuming that there is an ulterior motive here?

As I already mentioned, sponsors can't sponsor a skater who is not skating. Of course I don't know the details of Gracie's contracts with her sponsors, but expect that those contracts are written or overseen by lawyers who account for all possible contingencies. But if Gracie is owed money by her sponsors on a regular basis according to her contracts, then she is entitled to be paid. However, to get new contracts or maintain existing ones, she probably has to skate.

So, I don't see how money could be an ulterior motive here.

Gracie is one of the top skaters in her country and has contended with the best in the world. So, she's in the public eye, and has an agent and a PR agent. When Gracie doesn't show up on the GP, and maybe doesn't show up at Nationals, TPTB in skating and the public will want to know why.

Would you have them say nothing, or lie? Or just say 'taking time off for personal reasons' and leave out the eating disorder?

I would expect that Gracie, her family and her team are aware that EDs are an issue for a lot of skaters. It's important that it be acknowledged, and I applaud them for doing so. It could help some young skater who is struggling with an ED in cautioning her ( or him) to consider that this is how it may go.

 

[MsZem]

I don't think dealing with them is playing a card -- I think announcing them is, when done by a public figure for some motive.

I also don't think it's an untouchable thing, and that she can do no wrong because of mental health issues. I've had friends who have struggled with that sort of thing, etc, and been very up close to it -- and that makes me a bit jaded, I think. I don't mean any offense to anyone, but I also don't believe in kid gloves online -- if some hypothetical reader can't handle frank discussion of such matters, the thread title should be enough to warn them off.

I hope you showed more empathy for your friends than you've expressed here.

Gracie announcing what she's dealing with sends a strong message that mental health issues are not something to hide or be ashamed of. I'm all for having a frank discussion about mental health; too often it's discussed in euphemisms like "personal issues", as if struggling with depression, or anxiety, or other disorders cannot be talked about in polite company. So what you're advocating is suspicion about people who discuss their mental health issues publicly. That's not frank, that's disgusting.

 

[Lizziebeth]

I hope you showed more empathy for your friends than you've expressed here.

I hope so too but I doubt it. I don't think this poster understands much about depression or anxiety if they became a "bit jaded" from dealing with friends with mental health issues.

 

[Carolla5501]

I'm not accusing her of lying. Not by a long shot. But I do think she's playing a strategic game, and I don't think its especially brave.

If it walks like a duck and looks like a duck it's a duck.


You did basically accuse her of lying, you just didn't come out and use those words and now you're backpedaling


You're hiding behind a screen name And making accusations that have no basis except your desire to trash a young woman.

You should be ashamed of yourself. At least I don't ever have to read another post of yours, off to put another jerk on ignore! Maybe you should consider your motives and your mental health before you start accusing others