The Dangers of Female Athletes Developing Eating Disorders
Posted on: January 15th, 2016
Participating in organized sports offers many benefits, such as bonding with others, learning to work as a team and establishing an active lifestyle. However, the highly competitive aspect of sports can be a source of psychological and physical stress. This coupled with a cultural emphasis on being thin can put athletes at higher risk of developing eating disorders.
While male athletes are at risk, especially those involved in sports with rigid weight requirements (wrestling, bodybuilding, crew and running), eating disorders are much move prevalent with female athletes. When female athletes have eating disorders it can lead to serious health issues called the Female Athlete Triad. The triad is a combination of disordered eating, amenorrhea and osteoporosis resulting from intense athletic training.
The progression of the Female Athlete Triad is not the same for everyone, but it usually begins with disordered eating, specifically irregular, chaotic eating and consistent under-eating. These behaviors are unintentionally exacerbated by coaches, family and peers pressuring the athlete to meet unrealistic weight and/or body-fat goals. The pressure is even more intense for females in certain sports, such as running, gymnastics and dance where thinness is perceived as essential for achieving top performance.
The second and third parts of the Female Athlete Triad are amenorrhea (a disruption of the reproductive cycle where it is common to lose several or more consecutive periods) and osteoporosis. Due to disordered eating or a full-blown eating disorder, the athlete’s food intake is not providing enough calories to meet the energy needs of their sports activity, resulting in amenorrhea. Once an individual has amenorrhea, she will likely develop osteoporosis where calcium and bone loss puts her at risk for stress fractures.
It’s clear that the culture of sports needs to change in order to foster a safer, healthier environment for athletes. The National Eating Disorder Association has some excellent tips:
- Positive, person-oriented coaching style rather than negative, performance-oriented coaching style
- Social influence and support from teammates with healthy attitudes towards size and shape
- Coaches who emphasize factors that contribute to personal success such as motivation and enthusiasm rather than body weight or shape
- Coaches and parents who educate, talk about and support the changing female body
What physically active girls and women can do to prevent the Female Athlete Triad:
- Eat a balanced diet to provide a variety of nutrients and eat enough calories to balance the energy expenditure of your training.
- Keep track of your periods, noting longer cycles or the absence of periods.
- Accept your body as it is and for what it can do. Don’t compare it to other people’s, there is no “perfect body type”.
To learn more about the Female Athlete Triad, visit: http://www.femaleathletetriad.org/
If you think you or someone you love is suffering from an eating disorder seek professional help immediately before it leads to other serious health issues like the Female Athlete Triad. Call Maureen Kritzer-Lange Psychotherapy at 973-313-1691 or email info@maureenkritzerlange.com
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