This article is about a study designed to assess how prevalent eating disorders were among female college athletes and also to explore some factors that may have a relationship with eating disorders. (Academy, 2012) There were 56 participants in total ad the sports included were soccer, softball, track and field and swimming. Over 98 % of subjects were between 18 and 22 years and all except one, Caucasian. Two questionnaires were used to collect data. Firstly the EAT 26 questionnaire which has been widely used in research to establish prevalence of eating disorders and each of the items on the scale (bulimia, dieting, food preoccupation and oral control are rated from 0-6. (Academy, 2012) The results showed that 8 female athletes scored a 20 or above for the EAT26 questionnaire, and were therefore considered at risk of having an eating disorder. The discussion of this article highlights that 14,3 % of the female athletes were found to be at risk of having an eating disorder and all of these subjects were 19 years old. The study found that body image dissatisfaction is the strongest predictor of eating disorder symptoms. It also found that sport-related pressures like weight limits, teammates’ eating-related behaviours, judging criteria, revealing uniforms and coach expectations are risk factors for an athlete to develop an eating disorder. In addition it found that the more athletes felt good about their performance, the less likely they were at risk of an eating disorder. Anxiety and perfectionism are related to disordered eating in female athletes. (Academy, 2012) A comment was made that future studies should have a larger proportion of ethnic groups. disorders among this group compared with age-matched nonathletic contro... ... middle of paper ... ... Disordered eating may result in serious health problems, injury, decreased strength, speed and concentration. (Symanski-Sanders, n.d.) Food restriction and purging can result in depression, permanent bone loss and changes in cardiovascular. Some of these complications can be possibly fatal. On the other hand, some athletes with anorexia can compete well despite an eating disorder and become a compulsive exerciser. (Symanski-Sanders, n.d.) Approximately 90% of eating disorders occur amongst females. The following beliefs can be seen as a risk factor: females gain weight more easily than men, males tend to have higher metabolic rates, females have a harder time losing weight and keeping it off, men have more lean muscle tissue and less fat tissue than females. The rest of the article discusses the female athlete triad which has been mentioned in many other articles.
Some of the symptoms associated with Binge Eating Disorder are frequent episodes of consuming large amounts of food in a short period of time. A person uses the food to fill an empty void that they have and even though the food being consumed temporarily elevates them; Afterwards, a binger feels a sense of guilt, shame, or embarrassment. Due to consuming large amounts, a binger will eat in a secretive location away from others so they don’t feel judged by others. Sometimes a binger feels out-of-control or on auto-pilot when they begin there episode and also may not feel satisfied after bingeing. Binge Eating Disorder usually affects somebody who is overweight or obese, but people of regular weight can also be affected. (Smith, Segal, and J. Segal; February 2014)
According to the Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy Review’s article on the female athlete triad, in the past forty years, American women have become increasingly involved in athletics as a result of laws allowing them to participate in sports. (Lebrun and Rumball) For instance, Cathy Rigby won eight Olympic gold medals in gymnastics during the ‘60’s and 70’s when these laws were just coming into effect. (Brunet) Nevertheless, there is an ugly hidden underbelly to the many benefits of women’s increased participation in sports. Many sports have very high standards for body image, which has led to the increasing prevalence of three “separate… but interrelated conditions” collectively known as the female athlete triad. (Lebrun and Rumball) Despite Cathy Rigby’s aforementioned success, an article by Dr. Michael Brunet reveals that she was severely affected by the most well-known of the female athlete triad: the eating disorder. This eventually caused her to suffer cardiac arrest twice. (Brunet) These effects are not limited to elite athletes, however; high school athletes are also affected by the triad, particularly those participating in sports “in which leanness is perceived to optimize performance” or which use “specific weight categories.” (Lebrun) The three components of the triad, osteoporosis, amenorrhea, and disordered eating, are increasingly becoming an unfortunate effect of distorted body image on sports.
Eating Disorders." Current Issues: Macmillian Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.
The “Deadly Diet” seems to be a problem that is mostly common in females however in today’s day and age it is becoming a rising epidemic for our male population as well. Society is giving us standard that we think we have to live up to and many individuals are trying to accomplish this by fitting into that perfect category. Eating disorders are more common in middle to upper class families and less common in lower class families. Eating disorders can begin at any age however they seem to be more common in females ranging from ages ten to thirty. Peak ages seem to range from eleven to fifteen for females and fifteen to eighteen for males. (Bauer, 89)
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“Your body is a temple, but only if you treat it as one.”- Astrid Alauda. There are many ways of taking care of your body as well as neglecting it and depriving it of the essential things your body needs. Diet and nutrition are important aspects of overall health that are vital in helping maintain a constant state of homeostasis. The human body must intake a certain amount of nutrients daily in order to function at its greatest ability. Not enough nutrients can be harmful to the body as well as too many nutrients. During occasions such as holidays or busy work days one might not get the right amount of nutrients, whether it be too many or too few, but this is usually not a daily occurrence. Once dramatically overeating or under eating becomes a daily occurrence, the person is considered to have a disorder. Disorders like these are very serious and when in too far it can be very difficult to escape the disorder. Some people even relate an eating disorder to quick sand showing that it takes much effort and is very difficult to remove yourself from the disorder because it becomes somewhat of an addiction for some people. Many eating disorders such as binge eating, bulimia and anorexia can have harmful and very dangerous effects on a person.
Eating disorders are described as an illness involving eating habits that are irregular and an extreme concern with body image or weight. Eating disorders tend to appear during teenage years, but can develop at any age. Although more common in women, eating disorders can affect any age, gender or race. In the United States, over 20 million women and 10 million men are personally affected by eating disorders. There are many different causes of eating disorders such as low self esteem, societal pressures, sexual abuse and the victims perception of food. Eating disorders are unique to the sufferer and often, their perception of themselves is so skewed, they may not be aware they have an eating disorder. Media, for quite some time now, has played a significant part in eating disorders. Magazines with headlines ‘Summer Body’, or ‘Drop LB’s Fast!’ attract the attention of girls who may be insecure with themselves. Television productions such as the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show or American’s Next Top Model, show airbrushed and photoshopped women who have body types that may be unachievable. Those who are suffering from eating disorders can suffer dangerous consequences, and it is important to seek help.
women long-distance racers were more likely to report a past history of an eating disorder than the control population and that reported in the general population. We cannot say that running was responsible for the development of the eating disorder. It may be that running can prevent or control eating disorders. High achieving, disciplined, organized women with a history of an eating disorder may be attracted to long-distance running. The method of defining a case was based simply on the respondent replying affirmatively to the questions “Do you have a history or bulimia/” and/or “Do you have a history of anorexia nervosa?” This method of case definition is based on a history of such a disorder and does not necessarily reflect an active problem.
Prevalence rates are difficult to calculate in adolescents due to adolescents not admitting that they have certain eating disorder symptoms. Another problem is that adolescents may not fully meet the criteria of diagnosis causing an underestimation of prevalence rates. Even with these limitations, epidemiologists were able to estimate the prevalence rates. Incidence rates for anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating in adolescen...
An eating disorder is characterized when eating, exercise and body image become an obsession that preoccupies someone’s life. There are a variety of eating disorders that can affect a person and are associated with different characteristics and causes. Most cases can be linked to low self esteem and an attempt to, “deal with underlying psychological issues through an unhealthy relationship with food” (“Eating Disorders and Adolescence,” 2013). Eating disorders typically develop during adolescence or early adulthood, with females being most vulner...
Ninety percent of the eating disorder cases occur in women ages twelve to twenty-five and many researchers believe the media is to blame. Though there is no single cause of an eating disorder, multiple studies cause an eating disorders to the media. With being vulnerable to the “thin ideal” in mass media, there is an increased risk of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. (“Media, Body Image, and Eating Disorders”)
When considering the relationship between gender and eating disorders, more than 90 percent of t...
In modern culture, women and men are becoming less satisfied with their body shape. According to a report that was done by the Federal Trade Commission, seventy percent of Americans are either trying not to maintain their weight or are trying to lose weight (Kittleson 75). To compensate for being over weight, an individual will develop an eating disorder. According to Mark Kittleson, eating disorders are when an individual eats way too much or way too little (1). There are three different types of eating disorders, anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. According to Jessica Bennett, twenty-five million people in the United States suffer from binge eating disorder and ten million women and one million men suffer from either anorexia or bulimia. Studies have proven that bulimia, anorexia, and binge eating are set off by social, psychological, relationship or genetic factors; social factors, however, have the greatest impact on men and women.