An
eating disorder is a condition characterized by abnormal
habits of eating. This abnormality may involve either excessive or insufficient food intake to the damage of the person’s mental and physical
health . The causes of the disorder are not clearly known but there is evidence that shows a link between it and other medical conditions. Some research findings also show a possibility that a combination of biological, psychological and environmental irregularities is behind such disorder.
The popular
types of eating disorders are
anorexia nervosa or the fear of gaining weight, bulimia or abnormal craving for food, and binge eating unrestrained eating. These affect many athletes, especially those who are involved in sports that emphasize the need to be thin, such as figure skating, gymnastics, synchronized swimming, and dancing. The American College of Sports
Medicine reported in 1992 that eating disorders affected about 62% of female gymnasts and figure skaters. It said that some famous gymnasts had even admitted to fighting the disorder at the height of their sports career through treatment at various eating disorder residential centers. Aside from gymnastics and figure skating, the other sports that have athletes with eating disorders include boxing, tennis, swimming, golf, ski jumping and ballet dancing.
Findings of some studies also indicate that participants in sports that emphasize a lean body and appearance are at higher risk of having eating disorders than the non-athletes. The female athletes are said to be doubly at risk because they are subject 0f persistent social pressure for them to be thin or lean. In addition, females gain weight more easily than the males, and they find it harder to lose weight, having lower metabolic rates than the men. A known male sport that has the highest number of participants with eating disorders is wrestling, where wrestlers usually binge-eat before a match in order to load their body with more carbohydrates for added strength. Anorexia and binge eating are the most common types of the disorder among them.
Some of the famous athletes, mostly females, with eating disorders include Russian Nadia Comaneci, the first gymnast to score a perfect 10 in the Olympics where she won nine gold medals, but who struggled with anorexia and bulimia before she recovered through treatment. Cathy Rigby, the first American female to win a medal in world gymnastics, suffered bulimia for 12 years, while Kathy Johnson, also a gymnast, developed anorexia after she was criticized by a coach for her weight. Heidi Guenther, a ballet dancer, developed and later died of anorexia in 1997 after she was advised to shed off five pounds. Christy Henrich, an American gymnast, died in 1994 of multiple organ failure associated with an eating disorder she developed when trying to lose weight. Nancy Kerrigan, winner of two Olympic medals for figure skating, also struggled with an eating disorder caused by a leg injury.
Eating disorders, especially among athletes, are not a hopeless case, say sports medicine specialists. Treatment is always available in many eating disorder treatment centers or clinics that offer cognitive and behavioral therapy and specialized bulimia and anorexia programs, among others. These programs usually include yoga and nutritional counseling.
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