Subclinical eating disorders in male athletes

Abstract

This study investigated the possibility that male athletes who, owing to the rules of their sport, are pressured to maintain a low weight show an elevated prevalence of subclinical eating disorders. Twenty-five wrestlers and 59 rowers in the lower weight categories were investigated using the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI). Fifty-two percent of the athletes reported the occurrence of binging. The EDI profiles of 11% of the athletes suggested the presence of a subclinical eating disorder. These figures are clearly elevated compared with the normal male population. Low-weight wrestlers and rowers should be considered a high-risk male population for subclinical eating disorders. These findings are comparable to high-risk groups consisting mainly of women (such as ballet and modelling students). The causal relationship between the specific sport and the development of a psychogenic eating disorder is discussed.