Understanding eating disorders in young athletes
Olympic gold medalist, Simone Biles, pulled out of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics because she chose her mental health over winning another title. She was brave enough to recognize that her mindset was not in the place it should be and that in turn would put her at risk when she was competing.
“As an athlete, you need to protect your mind and your body, rather than just go out there and do what the world wants us to do and potentially injuring yourself. I had to put myself above all else,” she says in an interview with Good Housekeeping.
Source: Simone Biles on Instagram (@simonebiles)
Simone’s decision sparked an uptick in conversations about mental health and well-being in young athletes, especially young women athletes.
It also opened up doors to discuss a long-prevalent mental health crisis among young people in competitive sports.
Eating disorders.
What are eating disorders?
It’s easy to forget that eating disorders are not as simple as eating too much or too little. You could have a perfectly normal weight, be overweight, or be underweight and still have an eating disorder.
Eating disorders are a psychological condition that causes an unhealthy relationship with food. Affected individuals begin having abnormal eating patterns that disrupt their daily activities and bodily functions.
A study found that 35% of female and 10% of male college athletes were at risk for anorexia nervosa and 58% of female and 38% of male college athletes were at risk for bulimia nervosa.
Young athletes are at increased risk of developing eating disorders because of the pressure to perform and a strong emphasis on physical appearance and output. Excessive scrutiny from coaches, judges, peers, and the general public can lead to unhealthy diets, excessive exercise, and distorted body image.
Are there different kinds of eating disorders?
According to Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, there are three common types of eating disorders that parents, caretakers, and peers can look out for in young athletes:
Bulimia nervosa: Caused by repeated episodes of binge eating, followed by extreme guilt. This guilt is followed up by intense attempts to get the food out of their body, also known as purging, which includes extreme exercise, fasting, vomiting, or taking laxatives. Studies found that at any given point in time, 1.0% of young women and 0.1% of young men will meet the diagnostic criteria for bulimia nervosa.
Anorexia nervosa: Occurs when a person is extremely underweight and puts themselves through calorie restriction because of a severely distorted body image and a fear of weight gain.
Binge-eating disorder: Occurs when a person can’t control their eating habits and end up eating a larger amount of food at a time. These episodes happen even when a person is not hungry, and they continue long after the person feels full. This is followed by extreme shame, guilt, and depression.
How can you identify signs of eating disorders in young athletes?
Ski racer, Alice Merryweather, tells the New York Times that dealing with her eating disorder showed her how scary it can be if she stopped paying attention to her mental and physical health or listening to what she needs.
Alice sat out the 2020-21 season after being diagnosed with anorexia. After going to a training camp, she discovered that she hated the workouts and the time she spent on the mountain. It was as though her love of skiing had gone.
Rashmi Parmar, MD, a psychiatrist with Mindpath Health, tells the Psychiatric Times that although mounting pressure can take a toll on a young athlete’s mental health, it’s very subjective to determine how much pressure is too much pressure.
She shares a few signs that parents and caretakers can look out for to determine if their child is reacting negatively to pressure:
Visible signs of emotional stress (antisocial behavior, mood swings, anxiety, sadness)
Constant fatigue and a lack of motivation to do things
Dropping levels of interest in their favorite sports and activities
Changes in sleep and appetite
A decline in overall performance in sports and school
Addressing these changes is a great way to start having a conversation about mental and physical. It can help you prevent them from forming any negative assumptions about their physical appearance and capabilities.
60% of contributing factors of eating disorders stem from genetics, but genetics isn’t going to help you predict what the warning signs will look like. The signs and symptoms of eating disorders can vary greatly from person to person, so it helps to be observant of how your child is behaving regarding their food intake, body image, and energy levels.
More visible signs of eating disorders are:
Losing interest in food
Excessive weighing
Frequently assessing, squeezing, and touching specific areas of their body
Obsessively checking their reflection in the mirror
Excessive exercise
Excessive fasting
Frequently binge eating within a short period of time
Low self-confidence, especially about their physical appearance
What you can do today to prevent and treat these symptoms
Check out our resources page for more information about Eating Disorders Awareness Month, reading materials, news articles, and more.
Here are some other resources for parents and caretakers to engage in conversations about eating disorders with their children:
(Running in silence) How my dad responded to my eating disorder
“The most helpful thing my parents ever did with my eating disorder is connect me to the right resources. And they didn’t have to understand the eating disorder; I just needed their listening ear and support.”
(Running in silence) What Can Parents Do if They Notice Eating Disorder Behaviors? Q&A with Dr. Quatromoni
“You are right to expect continued denial, refusal, and perhaps even anger directed at you. But you have now planted the seed for the next honest conversation when the time is right, when you’ve observed additional signs and symptoms, and when she may be more open to the conversation.”
(National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders) Be Their Valentine: Fostering Self-Love in Youth of all Sizes
“By incorporating a HAES (health at every size) approach and encouraging mindful eating, we can help set [children] up to succeed in challenging this damaging narrative and foster self-love.” Watch the webinar.
