Rider:
Disordered Eating May Indicate Presence of Female Athlete Triad
Anorexia
Anorexia is a condition in which
a girl's diet does not allow her to maintain her weight within 15% of
the mean for girls her age and height. (Remember: daily requirements
for calories, carbohydrates, and protein are greater for athletes).
- Warning Signs:
- Sudden weight loss or gain
- Distorted body image
- Obsession with weighing oneself
- Avoidance of social eating (i.e. a girl who likes to eat alone)
- Preoccupation
with food and dieting/unreasonable fear of being fat (girls on severe
diets in one Australian study were 18 times more likely to develop an
eating disorder; moderate dieters were 5 times more likely than those
who did not diet; a Harvard researcher says 44% of high school girls and
15% of boys diet)
- Hair loss
- Intolerance to cold
- Obsessive exercising
Bulimia
Bulimia is where a girl engages
in "binge eating" (i.e. eating too much uncontrollably in one sitting)
and then purging (vomiting, exercising intensely) to get rid of the
food just eaten.
- Warning Signs:
- frequent use of bathroom after eating
- Fluctuating weight
- Bloodshot eyes
- Swollen glands
- Swollen extremities
- Discolored teeth (i.e. eroded tooth enamel from frequent vomiting)
- Feelings of depression, guilt or shame about eating
- Suicide attempts
- Drug use
- Aches and pains
- Dramatic fluctuations in athletic performance
Athletes at Risk
Though seen in all sports, those at greatest risk of anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders are those:
- Playing single sport on a year-round basis;
- Playing endurance sports (long distance running, swimming, cross-country skiing);
- Engaged in sports demanding a thin physical appearance (gymnastics, ice skating, ballet dancing, diving);
- Participating in sports with weight classifications (martial arts, rowing, wrestling);
- Whose parents are perfectionists and put too much pressure on their athletic daughters to succeed no matter what the cost.
Prevention
- Balanced Diet.
First, and foremost, a proper balance of exercise, body weight, calcium
intake, Vitamin D (400 IU's daily) and estrogen is critical. If necessary, you should take your daughter to a dietician or nutritionist who works with adolescent athletes.
- Screening.
To screen for anorexia and bulemia, make sure your daughter undergo a
pre-participation physical evaluation . It is essential that, in taking
the medical history, your daughter's pediatrician asks questions about
nutrition, menstruation, evidence of bone mineral loss (stress
fractures; Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry scan), and body image .
Because athletes tend to be more honest about menstrual history and are
typically dishonest about eating patterns, an abnormal menstrual
history is a red flag for eating disorders and psychological issues
(this is why your daughter should keep track of her periods).
- No Pressure. As
a parent you should avoid pressuring your daughter to achieve an
unrealistically low body weight, such as by comments about appearance,
good or bad foods, dieting and nutrition (this advice holds true for
your sons as well, particularly swimmers and wrestlers) You should be
wary of coaches who conduct out-of-competition weigh ins or measurement
of body fat, especially public ones which can highlight for teenage
girls the already sensitive issue of their weight (one prominent
Southern California swim club that counts among its alumni numerous
Olympic gold medal winners labeled members with what it deemed too high
a body fat ratio as members of the "Blub Club"). One eating disorder
specialist theorizes that a relationship exists between eating
disorders and girls going through the natural separation in adolescence
of girls from their fathers because they are particularly vulnerable
during this time to viewing their coach as a substitute father figure.
Because girls tend to internalize criticism more than boys, if the
coach is critical of her weight, he or she can have a negative effect
on a female athlete's self-esteem.
- No Secrets. If you suspect that your daughter exhibits symptoms of an eating disorder such as anorexia, let her know that you want to help but that
you can't keep the matter a secret, nor can you solve the problem on
your own. If she is found to have disordered eating, experts recommend
a multidisciplinary treatment approach (doctor, nutritionist, mental
health professional).
Above all, be patient. Don't engage your daughter in a test of wills.
Teaser title:
Warning Signs of Anexoria and Bulemia
Teaser text:
Contrary to popular belief, eating disorders are not limited to classic eating disorders (anorexia and bulimia), but occur on a spectrum ranging from calorie, protein and/or fat restriction and weight control measures (diet pills, laxatives, excessive, compulsive exercise in addition to normal training regimen, self-induced vomiting) to full-blown anorexia and bulimia. Here are the warning signs of anorexia and bulimia and how they can be treated and prevented.
Links:
[1] https://www.momsteam.com/node/881
[2] https://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/female-athletes/female-athlete-triad/female-athlete-triad
[3] https://www.momsteam.com/sports/gymnastics-traditional/disordered-eating-in-gymnastics
[4] https://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/cheerleaders-at-risk-eating-disorders-body-image-issues
[5] https://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/disordered-eating-body-image-issues-among-athletes-rising
[6] https://www.momsteam.com/body-image/struggling-with-body-image-helping-your-daughter-love-her-athletic-body
[7] https://www.momsteam.com/nutrition/eating-disorders-affect-more-than-half-million-teens-new-study-says
[8] https://www.momsteam.com/nutrition/eating-disorders-college-athletes-at-increased-risk
[9] https://www.momsteam.com/nutrition/disordered-eating/anorexia-bulimia/eating-disorders-signs-symptoms
[10] https://www.momsteam.com/nutrition/eating-disorder-triggers-high-during-back-school-transition
[11] https://www.momsteam.com/nutrition/eating-disorders-in-athletes-good-news
[12] https://www.momsteam.com/nutrition/disordered-eating/female-athlete-triad/high-incidence-of-disordered-eating-in-female-gymna