LILLIE DUNN | JAN. 29, 2018 | COLUMN

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (SCPDA) —Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia and binge eating disorder are extremely common in the United States. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, approximately 8 million people in the general population suffer from these illnesses. That is about 3 percent of the total population, however the cause is more shocking than the statistics. Many adolescents develop these disorders due to sports. As reported by The Foundation for Global Sports Development, 33-35 percent of athletes have eating disorders. Sports that have high rates of eating disorders are ones that require a weight class, or a specific type of body that is “ideal” for that sport. These sports include but are not limited to rowing, wrestling, horseback riding, cycling, diving, ballet and gymnastics. All of these sports either popularize a lean, athletic body or require athletes to be a certain weight to qualify for a competition. With these absurd standards come extreme struggles which can lead to lifelong health problems and in some cases, fatality.

Out of the 8 million with eating disorders, 1 million are men. It is a common notion that only women can be affected by eating disorders and, although they are less common in men, they are still extremely evident. As a member of a lightweight rowing team, which requires athletes to be under 130.0 lbs. (59 kg) for women and 159.8 lbs. (79.5 kg) for men, I see the struggles of men and women every day. A few days before a race many girls will get nervous that they will not “make weight” and begin restricted themselves when they should not be. I have also seen this on the men’s team where one athlete could only eat salad at our team dinner in order to ensure him being lightweight, even though he was not naturally that weight. This puts lightweight rowing in a bad light and can steer many athletes away from participating. However, lightweight rowing was created not to cause these illnesses, but to provide a chance for smaller athletes to excel in their own category. Wrestling also has weight classes for similar reasons. Although implemented with good intentions, the classes make parents and athletes wonder if these categories are doing more harm than good. A responsible coach of these weight class sports should only allow natural lightweights to compete in that category. However it is extremely common for some coaches to “make” an athlete lighter simply because they need another person in that category or believe they can stand out more in that division. Young athletes are easily persuaded that they will excel and possibly get a scholarship for their weight class. Coaches often are the root of these disorders as they push athletes past their limits. Many times this forms an extremely unhealthy relationship with food that can last a lifetime. However, the coaches are not always the cause, as many athletes take it upon themselves to “make weight,” dropping weight extremely fast in order to fall under the required weight for the desired category. This is unhealthy and can rapidly lead to an eating disorder.

According to a recent research study on Division 1 NCAA athletes, over 33 percent of female athletes either have been diagnosed or reported symptoms of these disorders. When others in the same sport are counting calories or over exercising it is seen as normal and justifiable. For sports that “require” or are more accepting of a lean or thin figure, many athletes suffer from anorexia athletica. This is where one does compulsive exercise which normally leads to minimal eating. According to the Recovery Ranch, out of 52 professional dancers from ages 13-20 years old, about 5.8 percent were diagnosed with anorexia athletica and 1.9 percent were diagnosed with a clinical eating disorder. This further proves that eating disorders are a silent epidemic simply ignored and accepted.

Eating disorders and their causes are a constant debate as some believe it could be genetic, where others believe society’s standards spark the disorders. One common argument is that these disorders are controlling young athlete’s lives and are a constant for those who “need” the best body for the most opportunities. Instead of being encouraged to continue with their illness, young people need to seek help and inspire recovery. The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) has a list of how coaches and athletes can avoid eating disorders as well as helping those in need. Coaches should not make comments hinting lower weight can improve performance, play down weight and its meaning and take warning signs of disorders extremely seriously. Athletes and coaches need to realize that eating disorders are an extremely serious but sensitive topic. Coaches who train athletes with weight categories or sports that idealize a certain body type should have talks with their team as a whole about the effect of eating disorders and how to help and avoid developing these disorders. The more the subject is talked about, the better people can look out for warning signs and escape the dangerous black hole of eating disorders.

The Unspoken Truth of Eating Disorders in Sports