There’s a massive issue facing the general population and especially college athletes, both males and females. But, it seems like no one is talking about it: eating disorders. It’s a complicated disease that affects both the mind and body, not to mention barriers that prevent people from seeking treatment, including, pervasive stereotypes, shame, and fear of being removed from competition. While doing research for my thesis, I came across a very interesting case study comparing a female athlete's eating disorder and recovery to male’s. Research on eating disorder prevalence in males is far behind research on eating disorders in females, although males appear to be at similar risks as women. These conditions are hard to diagnose, as athletes self report behaviors as much less than they actually present. Athletes are also conditioned to have “push through it” mindsets and often deny the seriousness of their own conditions.
In this case study comparing two DI athletes at the same institution, only the male athlete was teased by teammates in front of coaches, praised by family members for weight loss, and sought advice from a registered dietician with the intent to get advice on how to lose more weight. His family and friends perceived his weight loss as an admirable commitment to his sport. After seeking treatment and gaining weight, the athlete was referred back to the dietician by his coach, who attributed recent poor performances to weight gain and was hoping the dietitian would help him lose more weight. This is in stark contrast with th female athletes, who, after weight loss, was removed from competition until she showed signs of progress by gaining weight. The male athlete however, was never removed from competition or practice. These two cases how differently males and females are treated and how prevalent stereotypes of eating disorders being a uniquely female disease. These two athletes both were in denial that their behavior could compromise physical health, and had little knowledge about nutrition needs for athletes. This study paints a picture about how weight loss in athletic females is met with concern, but male athletes may be praised or encouraged. Overall, this is an issue that impacts many people, regardless of gender.
I grew up in a household with a male athlete who exhibits concerning beliefs and behaviors around food. It has sparked my interest in how differently men view food and deny the circumstances of their mindsets. Overall, I think more research on male athletes with eating disorders and breaking stereotypes about what someone with an eating disorder looks like are great starting points in helping people seek treatment.
Quatromoni, P. (2016). A Tale of Two Runners: A Case Report of Athletes’ Experiences with Eating Disorders in College. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
http://sites.bu.edu/nutritionalepilab/files/2017/03/tale-of-two-runners.pdf
This is an interesting dynamic in how women and men are treated differently with the same condition. The fact that there is a discrepancy in treatment does not shock me. However, I am surprised that the male athlete did receive more praise for weight loss. It sounds like there is a unfortunate lack of communication between dietitians, family, and coaches that results in poor care for the athlete. It seems like a lot of assumptions were made about the health of the male athlete without even acknowledging how he felt/ or his mental health. According to the NCAA, a lot of college athletes feel pressured to be the "ideal" athlete and compromise their health in the process. They suggest that colleges develop programs to help athletes at risk for eating disorders (Thompson, 2017). It would be interesting to see what these programs look like and what universities adopt this as part of student health. Thanks for your post!
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Thompson, R. (2017, November 15). Mind, Body and Sport: Eating disorders. Retrieved from http://www.ncaa.org/sport-science-institute/mind-body-and-sport-eating-disorders.
Thank you for the share! That's definitely an interesting finding that the male athlete was praised for his weight loss and was never removed from competition, whereas the female was not allowed to perform until some recovery was made. It is important for us as potential clinicians and general citizens to recognize eating disorders in other members of society, like the male athlete, not just the stereotypical "teenage female".
ReplyDeleteThis made me realize I too would not have normally considered a male athlete as having potential for facing an eating disorder. Even in a prior exercise physiology course I took, I only remember talking about the female athlete, particularly how common it is for younger female athletes to develop a condition known as "The Female Athlete Triad". The three inter-working components of the Female Athlete Triad are 1) low energy availability, 2) decreased bone density, 3) menstrual dysfunction (Nazem & Ackerman, 2012). For example, the likelihood a female athlete participating in a sport that emphasizes being thin develops secondary amenorrhea can be nearly 69%, whereas secondary amenorrhea is only seen in 2-5% of the normal population (Nazem & Ackerman, 2012).
This led me to wonder: what other populations develop eating disorders that normally aren't discussed? One population of interest we should also take more note of is middle aged to elderly patients. This group at risk for developing eating disorders after specific life stage events such as divorce, retirement, empty nest, menopause, etc. (2018). The National Eating Disorders Association (2018) even cites this group as having a different experience with eating disorders because they feel ashamed and embarrassed, viewing eating disorders as a "teenager's problem". This just goes to further show we should be aware and in tune to the potential of anyone developing an eating disorder and how stereotypes can get in the way of people receiving the treatment they need, much like the male athlete.
References:
Nazem, T. G., & Ackerman, K. E. (2012). The female athlete triad. Sports health, 4(4), 302–311. doi:10.1177/1941738112439685
Eating Disorders in Mid-Life & Beyond. (2018, February 22). Retrieved from https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/eating-disorders-mid-life-beyond.
This is really fascinating! I agree with Caroline and Kiana on the unexpected finding of the praise the male athlete received for his weight loss and kept wondering what could have been done to help him. As it is known, research regarding eating disorders in males is little to almost none. However, I am happy to learn that it has not gone unnoticed and there are current studies to help this specific population. According to Limbers, Cohen, and Gray (2018), the current gold standard assessment tool for eating disorders (ED) is the Eating Disorder Examination, however, it is very female-focused. In other words, this assessment isn't the best tool for evaluating EDs in males. To resolve this, the Eating Disorder Assessment for Men (EDAM) was created. This tool still has to be validated but once it is established, it could help accurately diagnose and treat numerous males battling ED.
ReplyDeleteReferences:
Limbers, C. A., Cohen, L. A., & Gray, B. A. (2018). Eating disorders in adolescent and young adult males: prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment strategies. Adolescent health, medicine and therapeutics, 9, 111–116. doi:10.2147/AHMT.S147480
Sarah this is such a big problem and real issue in athletics, whether it's youth, high school, or collegiate. As an athlete, I have been exposed to different spectrums of the seriousness of eating disorders and the psychological factors that are associated with it as an after affect.
ReplyDeleteThis could be completely wrong as I’m just putting my two-cents in, but I think the source of this problem starts from the beginning of young male and female athlete’s sports careers. The youth ages of brain and body function and development are so crucial because that is when everything is becoming more permanent for the adult years to come (Darling-Churchill 2016). The habits and situations that occur at that age mold and develop the character and habits that a young athlete, and person, has in the later stages of their life. I think this issue is prevalent enough due to the seriousness of consequences, whether it is serious health issues of a person or suicidal thoughts/actions, as eating disorders often lead to such rash and extensive measures (Kostro 2014). I believe it is imperative and crucial to put create and implement programs and educate the coaches, parents, and athletes of these things to continue to bring awareness and understanding towards eating disorders. I know Regis athletics do a good job bringing it to light and giving a presentation of the realness of eating disorders, at least from the past 2 years of experience I have had. Now to continue doing so, but all the more with the adolescents.
Darling-Churchill, Kristin E, 2016. Early childhood social and emotional development: Advancing the field of measurement. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2016.02.002
Kostro, K., Lerman, J. B., & Attia, E. (2014). The current status of suicide and self-injury in eating disorders: a narrative review. Journal of eating disorders, 2, 19. doi:10.1186/s40337-014-0019-x