Athletes and Eating Disorders--Editorial #1

For our first editorial assignment we are to write on a National/International Issue. Sticking with my desired interest of athletics, I found some interesting articles while researching sport/athletic issues today. The first I came across, of course, was that concerning the ever-so-talked-about Title Nine. Seeming that this topic has been discussed time after time, I searched further and discovered some articles pertaining to athlete's and their body image. It was interesting to read how sports such as gymnastics, running, ballet, figure-skating and dancing, athletics in which thin bodies seems to be a crucial element, have numerous cases of athletes with eating disorders. Anorexia and Bulimia are the two most common types of eating disorders found in athletes. According to womenshealth.gov, someone with anorexia has an intense fear of gaining weight. They tend to think about food a lot and limit their intake of food, even though they are too thin. Many claim that anorexia is more than just a problem with food. It's a way of using food or starving oneself to feel more in control of life and to ease tension, anger, and anxiety. Someone with bulimia eats an excess amount of food in a short time frame, called binging. The fear gaining weight after a binge is present in this case. Binging also can cause feelings of shame and guilt. So, the person tries to "undo" the binge by getting rid of the food, purging.

One of the articles I came across discussed the fact that some athletes have a desperate desire to be thin in order to please coaches and judges. This makes sense why we see these issues in sports like dancing and gymnastics instead of basketball or softball. In every gymnastics or dance competition the individual is constantly judged for every leap, jump, turn, and flip they do. The athlete with the highest, tightest, most perfect trick is the one who will score the best in that particular event. Even though how thin the performing athlete is should not be a factor to the judges score or coaching staff, it still tends to play a role. Because of the strain to be thin placed on these athletes, the choose to undergo outrageous tactics to please themselves by being the best they can be at their sport.

Over the years, many athletes have admitted to having eating disorders that developed while training to perfect their sport. Some have been able to come out of the disorder with help of nutritionists, doctors and even support from family and friends. Others have not been as lucky. In 1994, Christy Henrich died due to multiple organ failure from her eating disorders. At the age of 22 her weight dropped to 47 lbs. One of the most common outcomes of having an eating disorder is the heart failing and going into cardiac arrest. With the intense workouts athletes already undergo, they need essential nutrients to replenish their bodies. When the athlete chooses not to eat, their body becomes deficient in those nutrients in which organs begin to fail. If you are working off calories be sure to out them back on!