Fuel Station
Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating
although eating disorders are not limited to competitive at hletes, those who train in a competitive sporting environment and care deeply about their performance are particularly at risk for disordered eating patterns. The cultural emphasis on thinness and the high stress of competition contribute significantly to the risk of developing full-blown eating disorders. Some athletes turn to controlling their food intake when other things in their life may feel out of their control.
Disordered eating and eating disorders may be said to exist on a continuum; all eating disorders involve disordered eating, but not all disordered eating meets Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( dsm) diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder. The difference lies in the frequency and severity of behaviours and the level of distress they cause the individual.
The Australian Institute of Sport and National Eating Disorders Collaboration position statement on disordered eating in high performance sport offers some useful definitions and distinctions. Disordered eating (DE) is defined as “problematic eating behaviour that doesn’t meet the clinical diagnosis of an eating disorder,” involving “a wide spectrum of harmful and often ineffective eating behaviours used in attempts to lose weight or attain a lean appearance.” An eating disorder (ED) is defined as “a condition characterized by a consistent disturbance of eating or eating-related behaviour that significantly impairs physical health and/or psychosocial functioning and meets dsm- 5 diagnostic criteria for a feeding and eating disorder.”
According to Ottawa-based registered dietitian Shawna Melbourne’s “ED for RD’s” course (designed to help dietitians identify clients with possible eating disorders), EDs may involve any or all of the following:
• extreme concerns about weight and body shape
• extreme weight-control behaviours
• evaluating worthiness by body shape and weight
• an abnormal relationship with food
• strongly held but problematic beliefs about food • purposely starving oneself, bingeing and/or purging
• a way of coping with painful emotions
• self-loathing, pain, sadness, fear, guilt, shame and anger
Athletes should keep in mind that carbohydrates are the main fuel source for our brain and muscles, and that they need adequate amounts for health and performance.
Many experts have commented on the role of social media in the rise of disordered eating, especially during the pandemic, when increased social isolation can make eating disorders harder to manage. Athletes are encouraged to surround themselves with positive online messages and teammates, coaches and friends who are supportive of healthy eating.
It ’s ver y i mportant to ident if y and appropriately manage disordered eat ing and eat ing disorders early, to shorten t heir duration and severity. A proper care team for managing problemat ic eat ing includes a physician, mental health support and a registered dietitian trained in eating-disorder management. Severe eating disorders may require in-patient treatment and/ or hospitalizat ion.
If you or someone you know is struggling with their eating behaviours, see: nationaleating disorders.org/screening-tool for an online screening tool to assess whether further help is needed. The nedic help line is 1-800-931-2237.
Rachel Hannah, RD, is a five-time Canadian champion, a Canadian Marathon Championships silver medallist and a Pan Am Games bronze medallist in the marathon. She is a full-time registered dietitian at the University of Guelph’s Health and Performance Centre. She can be reached at rachelhannahrd@gmail.com.