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conferenceseries.com
Volume 6, Issue 5(Suppl) J Sports Med Doping Stud
ISSN: 2161-0673 JSMDS, an open access journal SNOC 2016
December 08-09, 2016
Sports Nutrition and Ortho Congress
December 08-09, 2016 | Philadelphia, USA
Cool dudes and African body-image-sports food and energy drink consumption in a sports-resource-
deficient urban area in South Africa
Darlene Miller1 and Gary Gabriels2
1University of Witwatersrand, South Africa
2University of Cape Town, South Africa
Nutritional supplements (sports food) are used by competitive and recreational athletes of all ages. These are often people in
predominantly affluent communities, who can afford the cost of nutritional supplements. The situation is further exacerbated by
the general pressure placed on certain groups to use supplements. Young sports participants who are engaged in developmental and
competitive phases of sport, in particular, encounter peer pressure to use supplements and to enhance body image. As a consequence
the supplement industry has grown to meet the increasing demand. Food movements on the other hand, are a growing and a diverse
phenomenon globally. In South Africa, where the youth are the majority of the large unemployed sector, job creation for youth in
poor communities is a key development goal. Recently there is evidence of a socio-cultural shift where young people have become
involved in urban food gardens. There is a high level of bodily awareness, often with less access to formal sporting facilities. Township
youth may thus redirect their ideas of a good body-image into new urban food movements. These youth may consume sports food
and energy drinks if they are able to purchase these items. The research objective is to explore the supplement and energy drink labels
and other sources of information that influence purchasing decisions and trends that may contribute to the body- image aspiration,
in the respective communities.
Biography
Darlene Miller is a Senior Lecturer at the Witwatersrand School of Governance. She has obtained her Doctorate in Sociology from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore,
USA. Her research is multi-disciplinary with specific interests in food retailing, food movements and the regional political economy in South Africa.
Darlene Miller et al., J Sports Med Doping Stud 2016, 6:5 (Suppl)