Female Athletes at Risk for Eating Disorders

Female college athletes are at a higher risk of developing eating disorders than their male counterparts, and at a higher risk than females who do not participate in sports, according to an article posted on Yahoo Sports. Certain sports, according to the article, tend to be associated with especially high rates of eating disorders, including gymnastics, dance, running and swimming.

One of the reasons that female athletes can develop disordered eating patterns is the pursuit of excellence in their sport. Often, an eating disorder creeps up on the athlete as they hone their diets and increase physical activity through training. No athlete sits down and weighs the pros and cons, resulting in a decision to have anorexia or bulimia. Instead, the diseases are developed gradually, through small changes that become compulsions.

Along with an increased risk of developing an eating disorder, female athletes also have increased risk of injury among those with eating disorders. The physical tax of malnutrition paired with the impact of physical striving in competition can result in bone fractures and stress on the heart.

Female athletes are encouraged to be aware of the warning signs of eating disorders and keep an open dialogue with their teammates and coach about healthy eating practices while training. Because of the many hours spent together, teammates are often more able to spot a problem than an individual’s family or friends not on the team.

Tags: athletes, college students, exercise