Was cleaning out/re-organizing my office today and I came across an old paper I wrote in college. My professor liked it very much and the topic is an important one, so I thought I would re-post it. Pardon any grammar/spelling errors, as I no longer have the electronic file so I had to re-type it in (didn't think anyone would want to see my professor's grading notes- hence why I didn't simply scan it in)....(btw I got an A on the paper :)
The Drive to Succeed
Athletes. A lot of people consider athletes to be among the healthiest of the population. Truth is that in many sports athletes succumb to a number of unhealthy habits. Many, I'm sure, can guess that athletes give in to drugs and alcohol and a party lifestyle, particularly from what one hears on the news about professional athletes in such leagues as the NBA, NFL, etc. However, the drive to succeed in athletes can also lead them down the avenue of eating disorders, particularly in sports that emphasize weight and appearance.
High performance sports continue to place new challenges on athletes to acquire more skills and set new precedents. The expectations for a body to look a certain way are intensifying and becoming narrowly defined and there's pressure to be the best. Perfect, a journal from the University of Toronto School of Physical and Health Education, defines two types of perfectionism. "Normal" perfectionism sets realistic goals with the motivation being pleasure and rewards associated with success. "Neurotic" perfectionism, the kind associated with eating disorders, sets unrealistic goals and mistakes are seen as failures or disasters. This kind of perfectionist tends to experience feelings of inferiority despite success and achievements. They magnify their unmet goals and minimize achievements. It is an "all or none" way of thinking. The attributes that contribute to a successful athlete can easily lead to a neurotic type of perfectionism. After all, most athletes are competitive and want to be the best.
There are different types of eating disorders. Bulimia nervosa is recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by some way of compensating to prevent weight gain, such as vomiting or the use of laxatives or diuretics. Anorexia nervosa is classified by a refusal to maintain a healthy body weight with an intense fear of gaining weight, even when very underweight. Anorexics tend to have a disturbance in the way the body is perceived and deny the seriousness of such a low body weight. The Female Triad is a grouping of three disorders. It includes disordered eating, which then causes amenorrhea (or an absence of menstruation), which, due to the loss in estrogen, causes osteoporosis. Another type of disordered eating, compulsive exercise, has little to do with food. Compulsive exercise is when a person seems to be addicted to a sport. They talk of nothing but the sport, training, and/or injuries. They don't take time to heal when injuries occur. Many struggle with depression, repressed anger, and low self esteem despite significant victories and achievements.
The risk factors for an athlete developing an eating disorder include dieting at a young age, making weight, personality factors (perfectionism, determination, competitiveness, etc), sports emphasizing leanness or requiring weight classifications (see List 1), being a female (complicated by the added general social pressure to look a certain way), peer and societal pressures, early maturation, and a heightened body awareness.
List 1
Sports With Highest Incidence
- Emphasis on Being Thin
- Gymnastics
- Figure Skating
- Dancing
- Diving
- Endurance Sports (emphasis on low body weight)
- Running
- Cycling
- Cross Country Skiing
- Weight Classification Sports
- Wrestling
- Horse Riding
- Crew
- Karate
- Sports with Revealing Clothing
- Volleyball
- Track
- Cheerleading
- Bodybuilding
- Swimming
The warning signs for an athlete with anorexia can include significant weight loss, growth of fine body hair, complaints of being cold all the time, wearing baggy clothes to hid how thin they have become, and compulsiveness or rigidity in other aspects of daily living. An athlete often lives by a strict schedule, dietary regimens, training programs, codes of conduct, etc. THey conform to so many standards that they may begin to view their body as something else they need to have control over. For athletes with bulimia, warning signs include secretive eating or stealing food for binges, disappearing after eating, complaints of weakness or fatigue- often due to dehydration and electrolyte loss from vomiting, bloodshot eyes, swollen glands, and puffiness below cheeks. A compulsive exerciser will almost never exercise for fun. For this type of disorder, their workouts have become a duty or chore and they can become depressed or have feelings of guilt when they miss a workout. They would rather workout than anything else and it often disrupts there schoolwork, careers, family/friend relationships, and often they can't relax because they feel they aren't burning enough calories. As with most eating disorders, general clues are an obsession with weight, lightheadedness or disequilibrium (not accounted for by other medical causes) and increased criticism of their body.
Female athletes are at a higher risk of developing an eating disorder then males. Females are subject to constant pressure from their sport and also the same societal pressure that affect females in the general population. Many women are also in sports that overvalue performance, low body fat, and an unrealistic body shape, size and weight (such as ballet, dance, gymnastics and track). Men are somewhat protected from eating disorders simply due to their basic biology and differing societal expectations. Men have more lean tissue and less body fat than women. They also tend to have higher metabolic rates. Women tend to gain weight more easily and have more trouble losing it and keeping it off than men. Men are also not under the pressure to achieve the skinny body ideal; they usually want to be big and strong.
Though these disorders may seem to work for the athlete in the beginning, eventually the negative effects come in to full effect. The athlete will start to see a decrease in performance and have more injuries as the result of malnutrition and excessive exercise. These disorders can also lead to depression, mood swings, obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors.
For an athlete, or anyone for that matter, with an eating disorder, it is best for them to be confronted by someone they trust and respect. Coaches, friends, or teammates are usually the first to notice the warning signs of an eating disorder. Concern should be expressed carefully over health and energy rather than discussing weight or eating habits directly. It is important for those around the athlete to be supportive, patient, consistent and to listen to the athlete. It is also important for the coaches, athletes, and family members to be educated on the dangers of disordered eating and about healthy nutrition. Treatment for disordered eating is complex since it is a combination of sociocultural, psychological, and physiological sources. For anorexia, the biggest problem is convincing them that treatment will not make them fat. Treatment can include hospitalization for those that become severely malnourished. For bulimia, hospital stays are rarely needed unless medical complications have resulted from the disorder. Both disorders might use cognitive therapy to treat distorted beliefs, unrealistic expectations, and for stress management. Treatment for compulsive exercise includes medical treatment of injuries that have occurred from overworking the body and can also include special programs designed particularly for athletes.
Competitive athletes can be determined perfectionists with a passion for their sport. They feel the need to be the best and even to be absolutely perfect. The combination of the discipline and strictness an athlete is able to have over themselves with this need to be the best often leads to disordered eating in many sports. The best prevention is education before it happens. Even athletes with a developed eating disorder or those at risk can be helped by being educated about healthy eating habits, the dangers of disordered eating, and where they can seek help and support from coaches, family and friends.
Original Date of paper 2005
Endnote:
Looking back on this paper I can still see some of the same patterns in me from when I was training in Olympic Style Taekwondo, to now, training as an NPC Figure Competitor. I also see how some things have changed with society since writing this paper as I feel that a dichotomy has arisen between not only the obesity rate rising worldwide but also that men are now just as susceptible to eating disorders as women given the "perfect storm" of characteristics/environment.
