The Prevalence of Eating Disorders in Sports

Sports are notoriously known for bringing people together and fostering a sense of community for both the viewers and athletes. But there is a side to athletics that is just behind the curtain, waiting for someone to pull it back.

According to Within Health, an astounding 84% of college athletes have engaged in disordered patterns of eating or weight control behaviors.

Graphic by Bridget Clerkin. Courtesy of Within Health.

The countless meals spent alone to hide unhealthy eating behaviors, the quiet destructive thoughts in the mirror, and the comparison that lives only in your head. This is the reality for many athletes which, oftentimes, is masked and written off as “commitment” or “discipline.”

Those working closely with athletes see this issue frequently. Madison Wyatt, a registered dietitian nutritionist at Oakland University, began her career as an outpatient eating disorder dietitian at an adolescent behavior clinic. She now supports student athletes with prevention and treatment of disordered eating.

“Eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors are highly prevalent in athletes,” Wyatt explained. “Prevalence is higher in athletes than non-athletes and eating disorder rates range from 6-45% in female athletes and 0-19% in male athletes.”

These percentages show the significance of this issue, reinforcing the need for conversation around this crisis.

Wyatt went on to discuss the reasons this mental illness is so dominant particularly in the world of athletics.

“There are many factors that increase the risk of eating disorders in athletes, including pressure to perform, perfectionism, a belief that lower body weight leads to better performance, praise from teammates or staff regarding weight loss, comparison to other athletes, sports that focus on individualism, weight-class sports, injuries, and more,” she stated.

Clearly there are a wide array of factors that could cause a person to fall into these habits, with many of them being uncontrollable.

It can be difficult to prevent eating disorders before they occur simply because of this reason as well as how much of an internal war it is. However, knowing how an eating disorder portrays itself is crucial to getting loved ones the support they need before they are in the depths of it.

Wyatt listed several tell-tale signs to look out for, some of which being dieting, guilt with eating, having to burn off calories eaten, obsession with weight or calorie consumption, poor body- image, skipping meals or snacks, purging, and physical symptoms such as loss of menstrual cycle, dizziness, fainting, stress injuries, and fatigue.

Experiencing the damaging effects of an eating disorder is what drives many people to recovery.

“Low energy availability affects all systems of the body, symptoms include chronic

fatigue, frequent illness, persistent injury or stress fractures, loss of menstrual periods (amenorrhea), reduced libido, and irritability,” Wyatt stated. “Performance also takes a hit, often due to biological manifestations like mental fatigue, depleted energy stores, and injuries.”

The longer a person engages in these behaviors, the harder recovery is. Wyatt elucidated that we are creatures of habit, and, just like any other habit we form, it takes a continuous effort to break free.

For those struggling with eating disorders or disordered eating in any form, seeking professional help is imperative. A multidisciplinary approach is best, often combining the specialized help of a dietitian and therapist.

At Oakland University, the service of dietitians and therapists are available year-round for student athletes at no additional cost. This help can be found by reaching out via email to Madison Wyatt at madisonwyatt@oakland.edu for nutritional support. Therapy needs can be met by contacting Dr. Sanders via email at sanders2@oakland.edu.

“Everyone deserves to have a good relationship with food and their body while playing the sport they love,” encouraged Wyatt.