What are Eating Disorders?
Eating disorders include a range of disorders that affect eating behaviors, thoughts and emotions related to food, weight, and body shape. In today's society, it's not uncommon to be conscious of your eating and exercise habits or to desire a particular physical appearance. The increased emphasis on appearance in our culture, often reinforced by social media, has made this a common trend.
Some individuals can develop serious issues with body image, sometimes leading to radical and even dangerous changes in diet and exercise habits. It is very serious and can be fatal if not addressed and treated properly. This illness comes from severe disturbances in eating behaviors and the thoughts and emotions surrounding them, accompanied by a near-constant preoccupation with control over food, body weight, and shape.
Unfortunately, this illness is common among the student-athlete population. There is a lot of speculation on why, but some of the factors associated include general increased awareness about athletic body type, social media, pressure from coaches, and lack of nutrition education. A 2018 study by the National Eating Disorder Association found that 62% of female student-athletes in the U.S. have disordered eating habits and up to 25.5% show subclinical symptoms (difficult to recognize outwardly) for eating disorders.
Concern about your weight and what you eat does NOT automatically make you at risk for an eating disorder. Just like all mental illnesses, there is a set of criteria that you must reach before being diagnosed. In the case of eating disorders, there are many different criteria for the many different types of disorders under this umbrella.
Frequent or constant
extreme restriction of food intake
Frequently or constantly eating
until you are uncomfortably full
Eating unusually large amounts of food in a specific amount of time (such as a 2-hour period)
Eating even when you're full or not hungry
Feeling distressed, ashamed, or
guilty about your eating
Chronically inflamed and sore throat
Intestinal distress and
irritation from laxative abuse
Severe dehydration from purging of fluids
Intense fear of gaining weight
A relentless pursuit of
thinness and unwillingness
to maintain a normal or healthy weight
Distorted body image, a self-esteem that is heavily influenced by perceptions
of body weight and shape, or a denial of the seriousness of low body weight
You are NOT alone if you are struggling with ED's. If you're an athlete and don’t know where to start or who to go to, consider talking to your athletic trainer. Even if they can’t offer help directly, they can likely put you in touch with the right resources.
62%
of female student-athletes suffer from disordered eating habits in the U.S.
25.5%
of female student-athletes within the NCAA show sub-clinical signs for eating disorders
