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Eating disorders among athletes at all levels of competitive skill are most likely underreported and often go unrecognized by coaches. All sports require athletes to develop strength and endurance, but the sports that require leanness or focus on weight control place athletes at high risk for eating disorders. High risk sports include, but aren’t limited to, gymnastics, running ballet, wrestling, swimming, diving and body building. These sports put males as well as females at risk for anorexia and bulimia. When athletes are not training or competing at the level they expect for themselves or that which is expected by coaches, often the first problem identified for this is the athletes weight. Athletes and coaches alike are much too quick to determine that weight is interfering with performance without having any substantial information to support this determination. Athletes are often willing to do anything for quick results that will improve performance. Dieting can produce the illusion of quick results, however, dieting always precedes the development of an eating disorder. As soon as an athlete attempts to lose weight with the belief that performance will be enhanced, the first thing he/she has to do is go on a diet. At this point, the athlete is attempting to train and/or compete in a starvation state. It is well-documented that dieting increases fatigue, anxiety and irritability and decreases concentration. Furthermore, dieting decreases muscle mass and causes dehydration. These effects will significantly impair training efforts and performance level rather than do anything to improve them. The most important events leading to the onset of eating problems among athletes have been reported to be: failure in athletic competition; feeling out of control overall; being teased about appearance; an injury that interfered with exercise; problems in romantic relationships; and prolonged periods of dieting. When an athlete is convinced that losing weight is the only way to win, undue pressure and emphasis will be placed on measuring, evaluating and critiquing his/her body. This, too will interfere with performance. Critical to the development of an athlete's body for optimal performance is a clear understanding of healthy eating habits and the physiology of training as it relates to muscle mass and body weight. Interestingly, coaches and athletes often rely on their idiosyncratic beliefs about food and its effects on the body, and don’t rely on sound nutritional meal plans that support optimial performance. Below normal body weight and excessive exercise may be difficult to identify in a training environment where these behaviors look "normal" and may be expected by coaches and fellow athletes. It is critical for parents, coaches and athletes to know the signs and symptoms of eating diorders and to pay attention to what they see and hear in the training setting. Athletes need to hear time and again that when they diet, they will not be able to perform to their best of their ability. Parents, athletes and coachs need to keep their expectations in perspective. No sport is important enough to delay or prevent physical and emotional development from occuring for the sake of winning. An athlete's performance is not the only thing an eating disorder will affect. In addition to causing physical and medical problems eating disorders also cause emotional academic, social, family and financial problems. If you know an athlete who is struggling with food and weight issues, talk to them about it today.
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