Eating Disorders: Warning Signs

Sports emphasizing weight control/gain

Weight control is seen as advantageous in numerous sports children and adolescents play.  Thinness, leanness and/or competing at the lowest possible weight are emphasized in all of the following sports

• Bodybuilding
• Cheerleading
• Dancing
• Distance running
• Cross-country skiing
• Diving
• Figure skating
• Gymnastics
• Martial arts
• Rowing (crew)
• Swimming
• Weight-class football
• Wrestling.

Other sports, such as football, rugby, basketball, and power lifting stress weight gain by increasing muscle mass.

Youth athletes attempting to lose weight and body fat or gain weight and muscle mass may resort to unhealthy weight-control practices which can be potentially harmful to their performance and/or their health and lead to eating disorders.

Eating disorder warning signs

If you suspect your sports-active child has or is developing an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia, here are the warning signs to look for:

Anorexia is a condition in which an athlete's diet does not allow her to maintain her weight within 15% of the mean for her age and height. (Remember: daily requirements for calories, carbohydrates, and protein are greater for athletes).

1. Sudden weight loss or gain
2. Distorted body image
3. Obsession with weighing oneself;
4. Avoidance of social eating (i.e. a girl who likes to eat alone);
5. Preoccupation with food and dieting/unreasonable fear of being fat ;
6. Hair loss
7. Intolerance to cold
8. Obsessive exercising

1. Frequent use of bathroom after eating
2. Fluctuating weight
3. Bloodshot eyes
4. Swollen glands
5. Swollen extremities
6. Discolored teeth (i.e. eroded tooth enamel from frequent vomiting)
7. Feelings of depression, guilt or shame about eating
8. Suicide attempts
9. Drug use
10. Aches and pains
11. Dramatic fluctuations in athletic performance.