The practice of extreme weight cutting in combat sports—when mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters and boxers drastically lose weight before a fight in order to compete in a certain weight class—has become a chief concern of the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC), which regulates combat sports statewide.
Weight cutting—often achieved through drastic dehydration—has landed fighters in the hospital with criical injuries and, in the most extreme cases, has been fatal. Through an educational campaign that includes informational flyers and posters detailing the dangers of severe weight cutting, CSAC has become a leading voice nationally in combating the practice.
The Commission recently held a summit in Southern California in an effort to find solutions to extreme weight cutting.
In the most recent issue of Consumer Connection, the quarterly magazine published by the Department of Consumer Affairs, CSAC Executive Officer Andy Foster said: “Dehydration and weight cutting is the most serious issue facing mixed martial arts from a health and regulatory perspective.”
Read the full story on extreme weight cutting, and catch up on the latest news on other consumer-related subjects, in the spring issue of Consumer Connection, which can be viewed and downloaded on the Department of Consumer Affairs website.
