Premium Essay

Eating Disorders In Sports

Submitted By
Words 302
Pages 2
Sports are great for a number of reasons. They usually improve self-esteem, body image and develop a competitive spirt. On the other hand, it can lead to eating disorders. “In a study of Division 1 NCAA athletes, over one-third of female athletes reported attitudes and symptoms placing them at risk for anorexia nervosa” according to national eating disorder.org. The majority in the study with eating disorders were female but male athletes also display this behavior. This is especially the case if they are wrestlers, gymnastics, diving, figure skating, bodybuilders and runners. In essences any sport that places emphasis on weight and individual performance places their athletes at risk. The wrestlers and fighters are required to weigh in before

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Athletes and Eating Disorders

...nervosa. This increase in eating disorders has resulted from the intense societal pressure to diet and conform to an unrealistic weight and body size. For the general population of women, the lifetime prevalence of anorexia nervosa is approximately 0.7%, and that of bulimia nervosa is as high as 10.3%. Since many athletes contain similar behaviors to those with eating disorders, there has also been an increase in interest in whether athletes are at a risk for eating disorders.  An increased risk of eating disorders among athletes has been proposed for several reasons. For starters, athletes tend to exemplify many personality characteristics such as perfectionism and striving for high achievement which is found in patients with eating disorders. Other factors include high self-expectation, competitiveness, compulsiveness, drive, self-motivation, and great pressure to be thin. In order to improve performance, athletes may need to maintain a strong control and constantly monitor their body shape. This behavior has been identified as a risk factor for both anorexia and bulimia. In addition to the societal pressure to be thin, athletes have extra pressure for increased performance and ranking, which make them more cautious of their body size and shape, leading them to become more susceptible for eating disorders. Although these characteristics may predispose athletes to eating disorders, some of these behaviors can also be beneficial to their sport. For example, the drive...

Words: 2254 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Eating Disorders in Athletes

...RUNNING HEAD: EATING DISORDERS IN ATHLETES 1 Eating Disorders in Athlete American Public University February 21, 2015 Kellyanne Michael Eating Disorders in Athletes 2 Eating Disorders in Athletes Looking in your mirror at home, do you always like what you see? Most people come to accept themselves and their body image just the way it is. Other’s struggle to achieve the perfect body. They strive to be what they see all the time in fashion magazines and movies. It’s a never ending obsession to be thin and perfect. This inevitably can lead to eating disorders. Eating disorders can cause someone to have a negative image of themselves and food becomes their enemy. It’s not news that eating disorders are a huge problem in the United States but what about eating disorders in sports specifically. Athletes are not immune to disorders just because they are considered the elite in their perspective sport. It is said that at least thirteen percent of athletes have some type of eating disorders. This paper will...

Words: 2028 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

The Perfect Body

...The Perfect Body Body image issues are a real problem that a lot people face every day. Many seek to achieve an ideal and unrealistic type of body. Some even go to extreme measures, such as drugs, eating disorders, or even over exercising to reach this ideal body. Of course exercise is undoubtedly important to living a healthy life, but it is more important to know that the perfect body cannot and does not exist. Every person is unique and “healthy” does not necessarily mean stick skinny or big muscles. The idea of a perfect body is the result of over exaggerated media and the all important sports world. Through the influence of sports and media, the desire of an ideal body type has become one of the main concerns in a majority of our population and is severely damaging this majority’s physical and mental health. As a multibillion dollar business, it is hard to ignore the fact that sports are really important in today’s society (Sissoko). Sports bring people together and for years have been an excellent source of entertainment. Events are full of “moment-by-moment excitement”, filled with the adrenaline that most people just can’t get enough of. With the business of this all important sport’s world, although, comes the controversy of using illegal drugs. To some athletes, not only professional, the need for a better body to perform at greater capacities has become more important than their ethics and morals. Athletes are role models for people of all ages and seeing them throw...

Words: 1331 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Eating Disorder 2014

...Eating Disorders Many young men and women in the United States have a skewed perception of themselves. Some people take healthy approaches to achieve their health goals while others take a more unhealthy, and sometimes, dangerous path. Eating disorders have many health issues, along with noticeable symptoms, and proposed theories. There are a number of different forms of eating disorders. Anorexia Nervosa, commonly referred to as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by reduced appetite or total aversion of food. The first type of anorexia, called restricting type, is found in those who severely limit their caloric intake and exercise to excess to cause weight loss. The second type of the disorder is called binge eating and/or purging. These anorexics eat in binges and then purge the body of the ingested food either by self induced vomiting, the ingestion of large quantities of laxatives or the overuse of diuretics and enemas to rid the body of food. Bulimia nervosa is characterized by recurrent and frequent episodes of eating unusually large amounts of food (e.g., binge-eating), and feeling a lack of control over the eating. Binge Eating is characterized by insatiable cravings that can occur any time of the day or night, usually secretive, and filled with shame. There are also eating disorders not otherwise specified.  It is the category for people who do not meet the strict criteria for either Anorexia or Bulimia Nervosa, but who have significant...

Words: 2426 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Compare and Contrast the Constructs and Measures of Intelligence and Achievement

...Attitude Survey Paper Lola Shannon PSY/475 September 24, 2011 Stephanie Mead Attitude Survey Paper The purpose of this survey is to show the relationship between social anxieties, fruits/vegetable, food consumption, dieting, and eating attitudes. The behavior between physical and weight control, cigarette smoking and how much fruits/vegetable is consumption is examined within this study. The (EAT) “Eating Attitudes Test” is used around the world as a measure for self reports and eating disorders. Garner and Garfinkel developed the test to measure anorexia nervosa symptoms in (1979). The scores on the EAT-26 derive as the sum of the composite items, ranging from 0-53, with a score of 20 on the EAT-26 used as the cut off (Garner et al., 1982). The three EAT-26 factors are as such: Dieting-F1: avoidance degree, fatty foods, and the thinning preoccupation, Bulimia F2: Food preoccupation/Oral control F3: self control degree when in the present of food. The EAT-26 reliability determines the pilot study of food. The anxiety social physique scale is an original designed of Hart, Leary, and Rejeski (1989). The ASPS of the individual self inventory is a participation respond of 13 items on a point of 5 Likert scale. Historical evidence from 1959 to 1988 has the illustration of the continual shift toward an increased thinner physique in the Western society (Garner, Garfinkel, Schwartz, & Thompson, 1980; Wiseman, Gray, Mosimann, & Ahrens, 1992). In today’s society the...

Words: 1447 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anorexia

...are 6’00” tall and skin and bones. This image pollutes the mind of the teenager and begins to manifest a disorder in teens that cannot handle their own body image. Sadly the statistics for teenagers for eating disorders is astounding. Over one half of teenage girls and one third of teenage boys have unhealthy eating habits largely because of the yearning to be thin (Neumark-Sztainer, 2005). Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses directly on the problem at hand. For 14 year old Judy Jones, her problem is anorexia nervosa. Due to the nature of anorexia nervosa, Judy is likely experiencing some fear or change in her life. Dealing with an eating disorder is consuming and a way of coping with the change. I would choose to use cognitive-behavioral therapy to treat the psychological issues and her physical needs by altering her behavior. Interestingly enough, anorexia nervosa affects over-achievers and students that excel in other areas of their lives moreso than students of average achievement. This disorder grabs hold of them as a coping mechanism and the teenager cannot escape its clutches. If a student is good at everything they do, they are also good at hiding their eating habits. For Judy’s family to have brought her to seek therapy, it is likely that she has gotten to a point that she is physically showing the effects of the disorder. Physically the disorder may be causing Judy’s hair to fall out, and the extreme weight loss likely caused her to stop menstruating...

Words: 1306 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Describe How Dieting Can Lead To Binge Eating

...Multi-determined disorder is defined as one with many different factors that shape an individual’s mind to have a concern on body shape which then in turn can lead to eating disorders (Module 2:2015). Different factors include their family, friends or societal influences that cause individuals to have these views. Eating disorders can be viewed as this because many people who develop an eating disorder often times are influenced by more than one thing; it is not usually and individual cause to their eating disorder. An example can be seen in women. There are many different factors that affect women to develop an eating disorder, such as the influence of the media, attempting to please everyone, the many tasks women have to complete to ensure...

Words: 1093 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality

...Erica Sampson Eating Disorders BEH/225 4/19/2015 I would say for the most we all love food. For some of us it shows more than others. I am always thinking about food. I have a desk job, so I am more prone to eat all the time. Until about two weeks ago, I decided to go on a health kick. I wanted to start to eat better and not junk food. Our bodies also need food, even though we may not need it sometimes. There are two types of factors for motivation for hunger; biological and psychological. Biological Hunger is when your stomach feels stuffed and don’t feel hungry. And when you are hungry and your stomach is empty you want to go want to go and eat something. Researchers believe that hunger comes from not only your stomach, but your brain as well. There are two areas on the hypothalamus that control hunger.  First, there is the lateral hypothalamus that, if stimulated, causes you to feel hunger.  So every time you feel hungry, you know your lateral hypothalamus is working. Next there is the ventromedial hypothalamus, which when stimulated, makes you feel full.  Whenever you eat a big meal and don't even want to think about eating another bite, the ventromedial hypothalamus is doing its job. The hypothalamus tells us to stop eating when that set point is reached and raises our metabolic rate to burn any excess food. Psychological Hunger is when we still are eating, because or hypothalamus is not sending us any cues. Culture...

Words: 728 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

The Female Triad

...referred to as eating disorders, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis. The female athlete triad has become more prevalent in the United States due to Title IX legislation. The triad is most common among the athletic population, but can occur in the athletic population. It is most common among athletes that are in sports the emphasize leanness. The pressure to perform at elite levels causes many female athletes to combine excessive exercise with calorie-poor diets. The benefits of exercise outweigh the risks, so women of all ages should be encouraged to participate in physical activity. It is important to rest your body between workouts to promote proper muscle and bone recovery. It is important to educate athletes, coaches, and parents on signs and symptoms of the triad to promote early detection and prevention. Energy availability is defined as dietary energy input minus exercise output. Energy availability is the amount of dietary energy remaining after exercise for other body functions. If energy availability gets to low physiological mechanisms reduce the amount of energy that is used for cellular maintenance, thermoregulation, growth, and reproduction. This can restore energy balance but it significantly impairs health. Athletes can cause an energy deficit in many different ways. Athletes reduce energy by binge-eating then purging, fasting, or use of diet pills. A reduction of energy can also be caused by increasing exercise output more than energy input. Eating disorders are common...

Words: 1181 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality

...Erica Sampson Eating Disorders BEH/225 4/19/2015 I would say for the most we all love food. For some of us it shows more than others. I am always thinking about food. I have a desk job, so I am more prone to eat all the time. Until about two weeks ago, I decided to go on a health kick. I wanted to start to eat better and not junk food. Our bodies also need food, even though we may not need it sometimes. There are two types of factors for motivation for hunger; biological and psychological. Biological Hunger is when your stomach feels stuffed and don’t feel hungry. And when you are hungry and your stomach is empty you want to go want to go and eat something. Researchers believe that hunger comes from not only your stomach, but your brain as well. There are two areas on the hypothalamus that control hunger.  First, there is the lateral hypothalamus that, if stimulated, causes you to feel hunger.  So every time you feel hungry, you know your lateral hypothalamus is working. Next there is the ventromedial hypothalamus, which when stimulated, makes you feel full.  Whenever you eat a big meal and don't even want to think about eating another bite, the ventromedial hypothalamus is doing its job. The hypothalamus tells us to stop eating when that set point is reached and raises our metabolic rate to burn any excess food. Psychological Hunger is when we still are eating, because or hypothalamus is not sending us any cues. Culture...

Words: 728 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Nutrition Knowledge and Attitudes of College Athletes

...athletes were surveyed from all sports. The study examined knowledge of current dietary recommendations, sources of nutrients, healthy food choices, and the relationship between diet and disease processes. Significant differences in overall knowledge were noted between athletes’ collegiate sports and genders. The majority of athletes at this university had healthy attitudes about eating behaviors, but low knowledge scores. A problem facing America’s college youth today is the lack of available healthy fast foods or easily prepared foods. College students have little time and space when it comes to meal preparation within the confines of dorms, apartments, or shared housing. An additional concern is the knowledge needed to determine which food items to select. Current research indicates that as the athletes’ knowledge increases, nutritional quality of food choices improves (Kunkel, Bell, & Luccia, 2001). Nutritional Education and Training (NET) programs are taught to children in most public schools (Sizer & Whitney, 2000), yet few college-age students understand even the basic concepts of nutrition by the time they reach a university setting (Cho & Fryer, 1974; Grandjean, Hursh, Manjure, & Hanley, 1981). Student athletes with higher nutritional knowledge may obtain information to help increase performances and or maintain healthy or competitive weights (Barr, 1987). However, athletes participating in certain athletic sports have more problems obtaining basic...

Words: 2225 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

How Does Depression Cause Binge Eating and Obesity

...Annotated Bibliography on Binge Eating Disorder and Depression Crandall K., Eisenman, P. A. (2001), Physical activity: a treatment option for binge eating disorder? Women in Sport & Physical Activity Journal, 10, 2 Binge eating disorder (BED) is a fairly new eating disorder which involves episodes of uncontrolled eating involving large amounts of food without purging oneself with laxative, vigorous physical recreation, any/or dietary restrictions. Obese person has it problems with depression which these splurges of uncontrolled eating enormous amounts of food which causes obesity and depression management. Goldschmidt, A. B., Crosby, R. D., Engel, S. G., Crow, S. J., Cao, L., Carol B. Peterson, C. B., Durkin, N. (2014), Affect and eating behavior in obese adults with and without elevated depression symptoms International Journal of Eating Disorders., 47, 3, p281-286. 6p. DOI:10.1002/eat.22188 Major public health issues are highly relative among binge eating, obesity and depression may heighten physical and psychosocial dysfunction. This study goals distinguish the connection between mood eating behavior and body weight in obese adults with or without raised depression symptoms. Binge eating and emotional eating is frequently reported by obese adults with raised depression symptoms, it may have a key part in the support of obesity and/or depression in people. Treatment should maintain and exacerbate obesity, depression and/or both. Linde, J. A., Jeffery,...

Words: 682 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Exercise Addiction Effects

...to exercise dependence is the change in mood behaviour, if their exercise regime is broken and in many cases this can cause extreme anxiety and even depression (Cox, 2007). These two aspects that are experienced by an exercise addict if a session is missed can be a way of determining if an athlete has exercise dependence because someone who is in the lines of doing it for the extrinsic rewards may feel slightly bad that they missed a session, but unlike the exercise addict which do it for intrinsic rewards, they don't go into depression and feel anxious about when they are going to exercise next. Hausenblas and Downs explain exercise addiction through the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), criteria for substance dependence, which involves seven components which are; Tolerance: which is when they raise the extent exercise until they feel the sense of completion. Withdrawal: Is the effect that the addict experiences when exercise regime is lost such as the loss of sleep, anxiety, stress and depression. Lack of control: This is their inability to stop physical exercise for a certain time period, which therefore can interfere with social life. Intention effects: This is when they are unable to stick to the time period of their routine, so they are usually going over the set time they have for exercise. Time: They spend a lot their time planning their regimes, carrying out the exercise and also recovering from...

Words: 1081 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Psychology

...What is Eating disorder? Eating disorders are mental illnesses that cause serious disturbances in a person’s everyday diet. It can manifest as eating extremely small amounts of food or severely overeating. The condition may begin as just eating too little or too much but obsession with eating and food over takes over the life of a person leading to severe changes. In addition to abnormal eating patterns are distress and concern about body weight or shape. These disorders frequently coexist with other mental illnesses such as depression, substance abuse, or anxiety disorders. Eating disorders when manifested at a young age can cause severe impairment in growth, development, fertility and overall mental and social wellbeing. In addition, they also raise the risk of an early death. People with anorexia nervosa are 18 times more likely to die early compared with people of similar age in the general population. What is Anorexia Nervosa? Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by a low weight, fear of gaining weight, a strong desire to be thin, and food restriction. Many people with anorexia see themselves as overweight even though they are underweight. If asked they usually deny they have a problem with low weight. Often they weigh themselves frequently, eat only small amounts, and only eat certain foods. Some will exercise excessively, force themselves to vomit, or use laxatives to produce weight loss. Causes and Manifestation Though the exact cause of...

Words: 666 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Brain Disorder

...wondering if it is there last or if there even is a tomorrow for them .Remember the cartoon show ”Winnie the pooh” each and every one of those characters had a brain disorder. Pooh suffered of an eating disorder that why he was obsessed with honey all the time, Piglet was diagnosed with anxiety that’s why he was scared all the time .Eeryore was cursed with depression, Tiger had a disorder called ADHD (hyper-active disorder).Christopher Robin was Schizophrenic .Brain disorders is like a bad computer virus it never goes away and if it does its all for awhile. A brain disorder can either be genetic or non-genetic, a genetic brain disorder is caused by a variation or mutation in a gene .A variation is a different form of gene. A mutation id a change in a gene. Genetics brain disorders affect the development and function of the brain. Some genetic brain disorders are due to random gene mutations or mutations caused by environmental exposure ,such as cigarette smoke .Other disorders are inherited ,which means that a mutation gene is passed or a group of genes is passed down through a family. They can also be due to a combination of both genetic changes and other outside factors. Many people with genetic brain disorders fail to produce enough of certain proteins that influence brain development and function .These brain disorders can cause serious problems that affect the nervous system. Some have treatments to control symtoms’, some or life threatening Someone diagnosed with anxiety will...

Words: 1225 - Pages: 5