Eating Disorders in Athletes (Part I): A First Look Into Susceptibility
Triad is a combination of energy deficiency, loss of menstruation, and osteoporosis.
The health and fitness industry has placed unrealistic and harmful expectations on people who are trying to achieve greatness in their athletic endeavors. Children often idolize professional athletes who make up the small population of people with what society deems as the “perfect body.” As a result of the desire to become like these professionals along with pressure from society to “look like an athlete,” many athletic individuals can develop serious physical and mental illnesses. Specifically, female athletes can develop what is known as the Female Athlete Triad. The Female Athlete Triad is a combination of energy deficiency, loss of menstruation, and osteoporosis. These issues are most common in aesthetic sports, such as gymnastics, swimming, track & field, figure skating, and wrestling. In these sports, there is a heavy emphasis on the athlete’s appearance and how his or her weight can affect their success. Focusing on track & field, especially distance running, the common misconception is that the lighter someone is, the faster he or she will run. Society reinforces this idea by flooding media with professional athletes that are lean, muscular, and beautiful. It leads amateur athletes to believe they have to look just like the professional athlete in order to be successful. Because of the dangers of adopting the “lighter is better” belief and the Female Athlete Triad, athletes of both genders suffer mental and physical injuries when trying to achieve greatness, but are doing so in detrimental ways.
Due to intense pressures and several other conflicts, athletes are more susceptible to adopting unhealthy behaviors as a means of controlling their weight (Ahmed et al., 2019). According to a study conducted by Ahmed et al. (2019), “It was estimated that in female aesthetic sports disordered eating was present 40% approximately.” This statistic implies nearly half of the studied athletes exhibited behaviors that are detrimental to their health as part of their pursuit of success. Further, an article by Dr. Ulrike Korsten-Reck explains that “In aesthetic sports, such as gymnastics, where there is an emphasis on a lean body image, there are more cases of eating disorders with low body weight (32,4%) than in the normal population (1-6%),” (2011). These numbers indicate that athletes are at a much higher risk than other individuals when it comes to developing eating disorders because they “correlate leanness with increased performance,” (Eichstadt et al., 2020). Therefore, the idea that athletes buy into “lighter is better” is supported by Eichstadt et al.’s article. This trend does not only apply to female athletes, but to males as well (Eichstadt et al., 2020). There is negative stigma surrounding athletes’ mental health, and they are often ashamed or afraid to ask for help because they are expected to be strong enough to manage adversity on their own. It is especially challenging for males because they are expected to be “unbreakable, stoic, and self-sacrificing,” (Eichstadt et al., 2020). Therefore, males can be overcritical of their bodies and fall into disordered eating behaviors. Male athletes are less likely to be treated for eating disorders because obsession over their muscular makeup may be encouraged, in addition to the already existing shame about asking for help, the demand to adhere to masculine gender norms, and the idea that eating disorders are only a female problem (Eichstadt et al., 2020).
Athletes often buy into the phenomena of anorexia athletic, which is a condition of high performance in sport despite a low body weight and energy intake (Ahmed et al., 2019). However, Ahmed et al. states, “It is more possible that athletes with eating disorders may cultivate nutritional deficiency, pro-longed exhaustion, low energy and bigger threat to suppression of immunity that may consequently lead to recurrent infections and diseases. Consequently, not only have adverse effects on health but also on performance which is the greatest fear of most of the athletes,” (2019). Athletes who practice maladaptive behaviors in order to improve at their sport only end up harming themselves. Their health deteriorates, and their performance declines to worse than it was before engaging in the new, negative behaviors. Therefore, although athletes view weight control and disordered eating as a way to achieve greatness, it only provides them with injuries, illnesses, and often depression (Korsten-Reck, 2011). It is imperative that the athletic community be aware of the increased risk and presence of eating disorders in athletes, in order to better support those who are struggling and prevent further physical, mental and emotional damage.
For support and guidance throughout your college career as an LSU student-athlete, reach out to your resources. It’s often the hardest step, but the most rewarding.
Sport Performance & Counseling: GeauxBeWell@lsu.edu
References
Ahmed, A. S., Tabassum, M. F., & Younas, S. (2019). Prevalence of Eating Disorders in Female Athletes. Shield: Research Journal of Physical Education & Sports Science, 14, 214–226. http://libezp.lib.lsu.edu/login?url=http://search. ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=s3h&AN=144305083&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Eichstadt, M., Luzier, J., Cho, D., & Weisenmuller, C. (2020). Eating Disorders in Male Athletes. Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach, 12(4), 327–333. http://libezp.lib.lsu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=s3h&AN=144336294&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Korsten-Reck, U. (2011). FIMS Position Statement 2011. The Female Athlete Triad. International SportMed Journal, 12(4), 156-159. http://libezp.lib.lsu.edu/lo gin?url =http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx ?direct=true&d b=s3h&AN=84 41329 3&site=ehost-live&scope=site
