Eating Disorders in Sports

Although disordered eating has historically been considered a female concern, it is on the rise among males. Estimates of disordered eating behaviors in athletes are growing, and are as high as 62% among female athletes and 33% among male athletes. Some athletes may also have eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, related to clinical mental conditions. Characteristics of a possible eating

The American Psychiatric Association defines an eating disorder as an illness that causes severe disturbances in eating behaviors and related thoughts and emotions. Individuals with eating disorders typically obsess over food and their body weight (Parekh, 2015). Eating disorders can affect both men and women of all ages. However, men and women athletes seem to be at a greater risk for developing eating disorders. Female athletes who have eating disorders often have what is called female athlete triad. Female athlete triad is the term used to describe three prevalent interconnected disorders among female athletes: low energy availability due to disordered eating, amenorrhea and osteoporosis.

Over the past twenty years, there has been a great increase of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa which have come out as major psychological and health problems. This increase in eating disorders has resulted from the intense societal pressure to diet and conform to an unrealistic weight and body size. For the general population of women, the lifetime number of anorexia nervosa is approximately 0.7%, and that of bulimia nervosa is as high as 10.3% ( Taub & Blinde, 1992). Since many athletes contain almost the same behaviors to those with eating disorders, there has also been an increase in interest in whether athletes are at a risk for eating disorders.

Aesthetic sports such as gymnastics and dance demand a high amount of exercise and performance ability. For many female gymnasts, a lower body weight is associated with their success rate, however, a lower body weight often will cause eating disorders period. Prolong eating disorders can result in osteoporosis. A reported 28 percent of elite gymnasts have an eating disorder. The purpose of this study is to view how susceptible female gymnasts are to eating disorders.

When looking at the correlation between people with eating disorders and athletes, it can be seen that “both groups are characterized by perfectionism, high self-expectations, competitiveness, hyperactivity, repetitive exercise routines, compulsiveness, drive, a tendency to depression, body image distortions, and a preoccupation with weight and dieting ” (Bachner-Melman et. al, p. 628). In a study published by the Official Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, it was found that anorexic behaviors and eating disorders in general are frequently found in three types of athletes which are all present on the college sport level; “obligatory” runners, elite athletes, and athletes that partake in aesthetic sports. An “obligatory” runner is one who runs more because they are obsessed with it rather than for competition. Elite athletes are those who are playing at the highest level available to them, such as varsity athletes that are under an enormous amount of pressure. It was found that almost 20% of elite female athletes and 8% of elite male athletes are at a highly increased risk for developing an eating disorder (“How Do Coaches Deal With Athletes With Disordered Eating?”). Finally, aesthetic sports are those in which participants are judged not only objectively on their abilities but also subjectively on aesthetic appearance. These include

Over the last decade, we have become very familiar with eating disorders and its detrimental impact on young women’s physical and mental health. In particular, Schaal et al. reported eating disorders, notably bulimia nervosa, had “the highest prevalence…among male athletes … in weight-class sports (i.e. wrestling, boxing)” (qtd. in Bratland-Sanda, Sundgot-Borgen 500). In this essay, I will draw upon current research on bulimia nervosa in athletes and attempt to establish the extent to which involvement in weight division sports lead to the development of bulimia nervosa.

Disordered eating among athletes, particularly female athletes, has been the subject of much research. In one study, women with disordered eating were 3.6 times as likely to have an eating disorder if they were athletes. In addition, female collegiate athletes who compete in heavily body conscious sports like gymnastics, swimming, or diving are shown to be more at risk for developing an eating disorder. This is a result of the engagement in sports where weekly repeated weigh-ins are standard, and usually required by

Eating disorders are becoming a major problem today, with the pressures of society and cultural images of thinness. Males and Females are facing pressures of meeting these expectations of these of societal and cultural images. Athletes are no exception. Although participation in sports may help to improve self-esteem, the pressures of weight and image in sports can add to the cultural and societal pressures that already exist causing eating disorders in Athletes.

There are many eating disorders like anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, and feeding and eating conditions not elsewhere classified are clinical mental disorders. It is clear that 95% of disordered eating cases occur among women and that 90% of cases occur in people under the age of 25.7 In the case of young female athletes in general, it seems that they have a similar risk of developing disordered eating as non-athletes (de Oliveira Coelho, et al, 2014). The prevalence of disordered eating ranges from 0% to 27% in female athletes and ranges from 0% to 21% in the general population. However, athletes suffer from a more serious condition that may lead to dangerous consequences. Female athletes who participate in

Just like any person, eating disorders can have severe effects on the health of athletes. In fact, athletes might be even more affected considering the fact that they often complete extreme physical activity and are under heavy pressure while doing it. Usually, the main goal of an athlete is to compete and train at their best and impress others as well as themselves. Sometimes, this goal can leave the healthy zone and become unhealthy perfectionism. There are many signs and symptoms in people and athletes to watch for regarding distorted eating. Athletes should be especially watched as many sports can put a focus on achieving a certain body size, shape, and/or weight. These signs include: heavy laxative use, always making negative comments

Eating disorders alter the mind to create intense fears about body image. The National Institute of Mental Health (2014) states that most people experience concerns about their weight, but eating disorders make this concern disproportionate and it negatively impacts both psychological and physical health, as well as social life. Like all psychological disorders, the causes of eating disorders vary and are contributed to by many factors; certain populations are more vulnerable. Athletes are at a greater risk for developing eating disorders than non-athletes because of sports related pressures including improving performance through body weight regulation and maintaining the aesthetic of the particular sport. In this literature review, the correlation

An eating disorder is defined as any of a range of psychological disorders characterized by abnormal or disturbed eating habits. These disorders can be caused by a variety of things, but one that is commonly overlooked is exercise. The major consensus is that diet and exercise, will only contribute to a healthier lifestyle. In reality, this ideology of exercise as an unproblematic activity is pushing children and adults alike to develop eating disorders. With each of these disorders comes its own string of problems that can have implications that affect individuals for life. A problem that then arises is due to the grey areas of these disorders it is sometimes difficult to differentiate between what is a disorder, and what is considered healthy.

Eating disorders can be broadly defined as any of a series of psychological imbalances that involve excessive or insufficient food intake or their associates. They can be classed mainly into four categories namely ‘anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and eating disorder not otherwise specified’ (Treasure, Claudino & Zucker, 2010). In order to understand what leads to EDs, it is necessary to understand what each disorder is about.

Despite the latest focus on the societally born problem, I personally feel like another form of an eating disorder has gone overlooked. Now, eating disorders on the whole are a huge problem plaguing the health and minds of our society, but awareness needs to be raised about all of its cancerous ways. Anorexia Athletica is characterized by excessive or compulsive exercise and is not considered a form of a mental health issue formally. Differing opinions aside, excessive exercising frequently co-occurs with eating disorders. In addition, studies have found that

Being that eating disorders among athletes has been relatively well studied, we are able to identify various clinical symptoms in accordance with the American Psychiatric Association (APA), that manifest into mental disorders. The two most common being anorexia nervosa, which is characterized by distressing preoccupations with weight and a refusal to maintain a minimally normal bodyweight. And bulimia nervosa, which involves repeated episodes of binge-eating followed by inappropriate compensatory behaviors, such as self-induced vomiting, food restriction, excessive exercise or misuse of laxatives. However, what isn’t often discussed, is the etiology of the eating disorders among