MamasHealth.com Home Eating Disorder Pages Activity Anorexia Anorexia Athletes and Eating Disorders Binge Eating Bulimia Childhood Obesity Cultural Influences on Eating Disorders Eating Disorders & Men Eating Disorder Help Nighttime Eating Over Eating Overweight Dangers Pica Recovery Rumination Support Groups Survive Bulimia Anorexia Story Anorexia Recovery Inner Substance My Anorexia Story My Bulimia Story My Recovery Recovery Links Email Mama Gaining: The truth about life after eating disorders Sex on Prom Night Free grants for college Sign up for the MamasHealth Newsletter	Athletes and Eating Disorders Eating disorders continue to be on the rise among athletes, especially those involved in sports that place great emphasis on the athlete to be thin. Specific Sports? There are certain kinds of sports where eating disorders are more prevalent. Sports that emphasize the athlete to be petite or thin have a higher percentage of eating disorders. In these sports, weigh-ins and body fat analyses are often a weekly occurrence. Some sports that emphasize thinness are: gymnastics figure skating dancing diving synchronized swimming According to a 1992 American College of Sports Medicine study, eating disorders affected 62 percent of females in sports like figure skating and gymnastics. A high percentage of eating disorders also occur in endurance sports that emphasize low body weights. Some sports that emphasize low body weight are: running cycling cross country skiing Sports that have weight classifications also have a high percentage of athletes with eating disorders. Sports that have weight classifications are: wrestling horse racing crew Sports were the clothing is revealing such as swimming, volleyball, track, cheerleading and bodybuilding also have a lot of athletes who have eating disorders. Coaches and Judges? Some coaches and judges pressure athletes to be thin by criticizing them and making negative comments about their weight. Female athletes often fall victim to eating disorders while trying to stay thin to please their coaches and judges. In sports where the athletes are judged by technical and artistic merit, many judges consider thinness as an important factor when deciding the artistic score. This pressure to be thin can lead to eating disorders. High Risk of Medical Consequences? Athletes with eating disorders often have a higher risk of medical complications. They have a higher risk of medical complications because they are already engaging in strenuous physical activity and putting a lot of pressure on the body. Some of the most common medical consequences are electrolyte imbalances and cardiac arrhythmias. Athletes who have eating disorders may also suffer from fatigue dizziness muscle wasting stress fractures depleted food stores weakness fainting Coaches and Trainers can Help Coaches and trainers can help their athletes by educating themselves on the signs and dangers of eating disorders. Warning signs include: restrictive dieting purging through vomiting, diuretics or laxatives withdrawal from teammates chronic fatigue excessive exercise outside of routine training periods inability to complete workouts excessive weight loss loss of menses inability to concentrate changes in mood fainting light-headedness Coaches and trainers could help combat eating disorders by bringing in nutrition experts to educate the athletes on healthy eating and to make them aware of how important it is to eat properly.
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