Disordered eating practices can be influenced by a wide range of environmental factors, including societal beauty standards, cultural attitudes toward food and body size, and the pervasive influence of media and performance expectations. Within a sporting environment, these pressures can become even more pronounced. The emphasis on body composition, cultural influences within sports and teams, the presence of anthropometric tools scattered around, communal changing spaces, and casual body-related banter between teammates can all heighten exposure to triggers, making them feel inescapable in the daily rhythm of sport.

The challenge with Eating Disorders & Disordered Eating, is that the battle is a mental one. Therefore, you cannot see if someone is struggling with these environmental factors, or to what degree they’re impacting them.

The challenge is that these struggles are largely invisible. It’s not always obvious who is affected by poor relationship with food +/- their body, or to what extent these environmental factors are impacting their mental health.

Research highlights a worrying trend: the rate of eating disorders has doubled in recent decades, from 3.5% in 2000-2006 to 7.8% in 2013-2018. (1) We also know that rates are typically even higher within athletic communities compared to the general population. (2)

While the statistics are stark, the real issue is how these environments contribute to the rising numbers and what can be done.

Factors that increase risk in athletes

Several factors can elevate the risk of eating disorders and disordered eating among athletes, and these risks are not static—they shift depending on various circumstances, so it’s important to consider this when screening for risk. The periods of highest risk often include:

• Peak competition or season
• Major life transitions
• Moving to a new team
• Injuries
• Changes in competition level/training
• Approaching the next major level in sport
• Post-retirement or forced retirement due to injury

Moreover, certain categories of sports are consistently linked to a higher risk of developing these issues. These include:

1. Aesthetically Judged Sports: Activities where performance is judged based on appearance, such as rhythmic and artistic gymnastics, figure skating, dancing, diving, body-building, and artistic swimming.
2. Weight Class Sports: Sports where athletes compete within specific weight categories, such as horse racing (jockeys), lightweight rowing, weightlifting, and combat sports like wrestling, martial arts, and boxing.
3. Gravitational Sports: Sports where higher body weight might influence injury risk or performance because moving the body against gravity is crucial, including long-distance running, cross-country skiing, road cycling, mountain biking, climbing, ski jumping, and jumps events in athletics.

Understanding these risk factors is crucial for developing better support systems and interventions to help athletes manage their mental and physical health effectively.

Our role as Dietitian’s in the sporting space?

In the sporting realm, eating and food choices exist on a broad spectrum, which can shift at any time. As Dietitian’s, our role is to pinpoint where an individual falls on this spectrum and implement changes that are both SAFE and CLIENT-CENTRED. This means tailoring our approach to fit the athlete’s goals while prioritising their overall health and relationship with food.

Failing to assess athletes for disordered eating/eating disorders can risk further damaging their relationship with food and their bodies, potentially pushing them deeper into unhealthy patterns. Effective screening is crucial—not only to identify risks, but also to understand and advocate for how these issues may impact an athlete’s health and performance.

Curious about how to enhance your expertise in this area?

Dive into our Compeat Academy ‘Introduction to Disordered Eating & Eating Disorders in Sport’ Course! This course will provide you with comprehensive knowledge on disordered eating and practical strategies to support both male and female athletes on their journey.

Ready to take the plunge and make a difference? Sign up today and equip yourself with the tools to support athletes in achieving their best while maintaining a healthy relationship with food.

References

1. Galmiche M, Déchelotte P, Lambert G, Tavolacci MP. Prevalence of eating disorders over the 2000–2018 period: a systematic literature review. The American journal of clinical nutrition. 2019 May 1;109(5):1402-13.
2. Wells KR, Jeacocke NA, Appaneal R, Smith HD, Vlahovich N, Burke LM, Hughes D. The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC) position statement on disordered eating in high performance sport. British journal of sports medicine. 2020 Nov 1;54(21):1247-58.
3. Wells KR, et al. The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC) position statement on disordered eating in high performance sport. Br J Sports Med 2020