What are you willing to risk to lose weight? Giving up soda, candy, and other treats is an extremely minimal task compared to what most fighters face. Are you willing to starve yourself, eliminate fluids, or work your body to extreme levels of pain? Are you willing to risk your life for the final weight in goal? Losing weight is a common goal for many citizens in the United States and in many other countries as well. People who are trying to lose weight are generally overweight and want to become healthier and stronger as they lose weight. Wrestlers, on the other hand, are losing weight to qualify for a lower weight class. 78% of fighters are already in great shape, but also have unrealistic weight goals. Why should they be punished for losing weight when they are strong, fit and ready to compete all year round? Nine out of ten wrestlers at West Salem High School consistently give up candy or soda to be the best athlete they can be in all of their sports. Adding water to the list of things they can't consume is a horrible consequence to losing that last pound because water is a major factor in weight loss or gain. Dieting and dehydration can lead athletes to more extreme habits such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. Most wrestlers use dangerous techniques to lose weight quickly. The use of saunas, harsh diets, deliberate dehydration, and induced vomiting are just some of the strategies used by wrestlers to compete in a lower weight class. The dangers of weight reduction are very serious and can cause a lot of damage to the body. Many of these strategies can cause death in extreme cases. Weight cutting should be eliminated from the fight because it hurts both the... center of the card... and the ger. Train their mind to think that food is just an optional thing and not a necessity. In reality this “self-discipline” is actually harming the body and putting it at risk later in life. Bottom line, fighters should not lose weight rapidly or starve themselves. It can lead to psychological damage, damage to the fighter's current body and his future health. They are willing to risk their lives, but we should all want them to think again before doing something like this. We must show our care and compassion to save a life. Coaches could take the next step and punish a fighter for losing weight too quickly and have him sit out. Coaches should also educate the team on how to eat nutritiously and safely. All in all, fighters' behavior has improved over the past twenty years, but there's more everyone can do to help stop weight cutting.