Eating Disorders in Female Athletes

Abstract

Questions and concerns about the prevalence of eating disorders in female athletes have come about as part of a growing awareness over the last 10 to 15 years that these disorders are not rare, and they can have long-lasting physical and psychological ramifications (Tolstrup et al. 1985). Adolescent girls and women living in societies in which extremely thin bodyweight ideals for females are evident and unhealthy and often severely restrictive dieting occurs are at risk for the development of anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. Thus, the occurrence of eating disorders in female athletes may be simply a reflection of a more general cultural problem relevant primarily to females, and evident in affluent societies in which food is plentiful. In addition, disordered eating practices in female athletes may be encouraged in particular sports in which low bodyweight is viewed as enhancing optimal performance. This paper presents a review of the research examining unhealthy dieting practices and attitudes about one's body in female athletes, and attempts to differentiate between more normative concerns about weight and body image in Western cultures, and the symptoms of a diagnosable eating disorder.