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Eating disorders and exercise/sport

Recent research shows that eating disorders are much more common in some sports, like distance running, than in others. The causes are never straightforward and differ with every case. In some cases athletes may develop anorexia because they see weight loss as a means to better performance (ie running faster); in others, people with anorexia become runners because they see it as a means to faster weight loss.

Food and eating play an important part in every ones life especially athlete's or people doing a lot of exercise . We all vary in the foods we like, how much we need to eat and when we like to eat. Food is essential for our health and for supplying the energy we need to take part in physical activity. It is normal for young people, especially athletes to experiment with their diet. Some try out special sports foods and diet foods, while others may adopt vegetarian or even vegan diets. Some athletes also try eating more, or less, than usual in order to change their body shape or improve their performance. Within reason this is normal too. However, extreme eating patterns can be damaging. Eating too little over a period of time can be emotionally and physically harmful. Rather than helping you to run faster, it may ultimately cause you to stop running altogether.

Signs to watch out for

If your friend does have an eating disorder they may find it increasingly hard to carry on their life and/or training in the usual way. Often they may do too much training. Some try to run further and harder than ever before each time they go out. They push themselves to extreme physical limits to lose weight and punish their bodies. As their weight drops, they feel a sense of achievement. At this stage they seem to have endless energy and this signal is often misunderstood and they become more active. They probably want to spend time on their own and will become increasingly isolated and withdrawn. Tell them why you want them to come out with you. Try to include them when you go out as a group. Even if they decide not to come , they will still like to be asked. It will boost their confidence, make them feel valued as a person and improve their self esteem.

Effects of eating disorders

Ultimately training and competing at a very low body weight with insufficient energy and nutrient intake can be dangerous and even fatal. At the very least the long term effects of under-eating may cause a drop in performance. Female athletes may suffer menstrual and fertility problems. The bone thinning disease osteoporosis is common in both men and women and is often the cause of stress fractures and other injuries. Gastrointestinal problems, kidney and bowel disorders are also common. Eating disorders can even be fatal.

There is more information about eating disorders and sport here