Eating Disorders In Sports

Topic: What is causing young adults and teens to develop eating disorders and how can we help them?

What are eating disorders? Are eating disorders a reality for cheerleaders? Is cheerleading a sport that causes females to develop eating disorders? Ron Thompson explains in his book Eating Disorders in Sport that, “Eating disorders are not simply disorders of eating. Also, they are not simply a misguided attempt to be thin; nor are they simply a sport participant’s means to reduce body weight or body fat in an effort to enhance sport performance. They are mental disorders that manifest themselves in a variety of eating and weight-related signs and symptoms” (7-8). I believe that eating disorders are a true and tough reality for cheerleaders especially females. Cheerleading is known as an aesthetic sport, such sport has a higher risk factor to develop eating disorders. Cheerleaders are judged for appearance and wear revealing clothing causing them to

Thank you for sharing this story with us. Your client has a very sad story. Through your kind words, I can see that she is a strong individual who does not want to show any signs of weakness. However, she is putting on a brave face even though she is going through the darkest part of her life right now. Although it may seem like she will eventually get past this, recovery for athletes with eating disorder are highly unlikely. She will fall into a cycle of doing poorly in competitions which will cause more pressure, this pressure will lead to being more reliant on control of her intake of food. She needs everyone important in her life to gather for an intervention for her. However, by the looks of this case it seems she has very few people in

However, established patterns of weight cycling, high energy intake, and focus on body composition can lead to eating disorders not directly related to training or competition. In order to protect retiring athletes from eating disorders, outgoing counseling should be available. Many athletes may go through a period of mourning following separation from their team and sport, which can make them more susceptible to anxiety and depression, often triggers for EDs, so general counseling would be appropriate. Nutritional counseling can help the former athlete adapt an eating pattern more inline with their new levels of activity. Continuing to work with a trainer during the transition will help the former athlete find a “new normal” when it comes to exercise and physical checkups can be an important tool for diagnosing distorted eating patterns before they become a clinical

Every year thousands of students are recruited to be student athletes at colleges and every year approximately 8 million individuals suffer from eating disorders. According to Psychology Applied to Modern Life, eating disorders are defined as “severe disturbances in eating behavior characterized by preoccupation with weight and unhealthy efforts to control weight (Weiten, Dunn, Hammer, 2011, p. 470).” Eating disorders can include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder. With risk factors such as low self esteem, pressure from family, friends and coaches and access to unlimited to food it is no wonder that collegiate athletes have higher rates of eating disorders than regular

Numerous studies have shown that athletes are more prone to developing eating disorders than nonathletes, as well as female athletes being more at risk than their male counterparts. Disordered eating is seen in athletes of all sports. (Johnson, 1994). The prevalence of eating disorders in the female athletic population ranges from anywhere between one and forty percent, depending on the athletes questioned, and the methodology used (Sundgot-Borgen, 1994). Rosen and Hough (1988) found that 32 percent of athletes practiced at least one pathogenic weight-control technique(141). A study done by Sundgot-Borgen, in 1994, controlled for the possibility that self-report data could be unreliable in numerous ways, including not informing coaches of their intentions, and assuring 100 percent confidentiality to the athletes who participated. It found that the risk for eating disorders is increased if an athlete's dieting is unsupervised, if there is an early start to sport-specific training, and/or extreme exercise (Sundgot-Borgen, 418).

Forty-three published abstracts were retrieved from PubMed database and three were retrieved from CINAHL database, for a total of 46 articles for potential inclusion in the review. Three duplicates were then removed, yielding 43 articles for potential inclusion. Two articles were excluded because they are commentaries. Three articles were excluded because they are reviews. One article was excluded because it is a case study. 14 articles were excluded because they do not include a mindful eating intervention. Two articles were excluded because they do not focus on weight or weight-related co-morbidities. One article was excluded because it focuses on anorexia nervosa or bulimia. One article was

At a gymnastics meet in Budapest, a U.S. judge commented that gymnast Christy Henrich would have to lose weight if she wanted to make the Olympic team. On July 26, 1994, Christy Henrich died of multiple organ failure. She had lost a long battle with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

The four sections that follow review the article “A qualitative study of transgender individuals experiences in residential addiction treatment settings: stigma and inclusivity” by Lyons, T. Shannon, K., Pierre, L., Small, W., Krüsi, A., Kerr, T. (2015).

Eating disorders have been a topic of controversy for numerous years. I myself have struggled with an eating disorder for three years, not only as an individual but as an athlete. Being a competitive cheerleader for fourteen years has opened my eyes to many different experiences and primarily developing an eating disorder. The last three years, I was apart of one of the most prestigious all-star cheerleading teams in the world. My team was known for winning numerous national championship titles and four world championship titles. My team was raised on a pedestal by other coaches, teams, athletes, and judges; therefore, my teammates and I were expected to reach a certain expectation. I am known as a flyer, the one who gets thrown in the air,

One essential part of competitive sport is nutrition and exercise. These factors are important because they can considerably affect an athlete’s performance. In the Perfect Body, Andie, an aspiring Olympic gymnast, engages in a strict diet to fit her sporting norm. Her coach pushes her to lose weight, and she feels pressured to maintain a small build. In order to reach the professional level, Andie uses extreme measures such as self-induced vomiting, fasting, and excessive exercise to control her weight. While these methods may seem to improve performance initially, they may be signs of an eating disorder. Compulsive exercise may also lead to burnout and overuse injuries. Ultimately, food restrictions and overtraining can damage an athlete’s health and performance.

Brewerton, Timothy D. "Eating disorders, trauma, and comorbidity: Focus on PTSD." Eating disorders 15.4 (2007): 285-304.

At present, it is not uncommon to see young women with some type of eating disorders. On the same hand, it has no longer limited to a specific ethnic group, class, or even gender according to the conventional clinical research (Abrams & Stormer, 2002; Altabe, 1998; Atlas Smith, Hohlstein, McCarthy, & Kroll, 2002; Barry & Grilo, 2002; Botta, 2000; Demarest & Allen, 2000; Goodman, 2002; Gordon, 1988, 1990; Hesse-Biber, 1996; Kolodny, 2004; Molloy & Herzberger, 1998; Nielson, 2000). As stated by The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), women who suffered from anorexia within ten years range from five percent to ten percent whereas eighteen to twenty percent of anorexic will be dead when the disorder was contracted for twenty years. Hopefully, around thirty to forty percent of the patients are cured although the remaining twenty can have a rebound effect.

It was the second week of school when my family and I found out I have an eating disorder. I was scared when we found out, how did we find out? I had to get a physical for football cheerleading and the doctor told me I was way under weight, I wasn’t surprised cause of how small I am. After a few weeks has passed my doctor got me a diet nutritionist and a therapist. The first time I saw the diet nutritionist I was nervous and I kind of made a bad first impression because I was confused on why my parents were doing this to me. Then I went and saw my therapist and asked her why I need all of this and she said “you're not healthy like you think you are and you can die because your organs can shut down and because you don’t eat normal your body

Over-exercising has many consequences. It can prevent proper rest, healing, or even medical attention and can cause long-term negative consequences on health and athletic performance. Excessive exercise can easily result in overuse injuries and stress fractures which could be temporary or permanent. Also, exercising too much can lead to decreased immunity and frequent colds or illnesses and is often a sign of an underlying eating disorder.