Eating disorders are serious illnesses that affect girls' health so much that sometimes they lead to death. In recent years, eating disorders have become much more common, so our team Fitness Garage wrote a series of articles covering most information about eating disorders and their symptoms, the most common being anorexia nervosa and bulimia.
Anorexia makes you scared of calories and gaining weight. This comes from a distorted view of your body. Often, these girls force themselves to over-exercise, which then causes a lot of negative symptoms These include iron deficiency, dehydration, bone thinning, and brain damage.
Athletes can face lots of stress and anxiety about their weight or body shape. This comes from tough competition. Some sports have athletes more likely to get eating disorders:
- Running.
- Cycling.
- Ice skating.
- Wrestling.
- Boxing.
- Weightlifting.
- Judo.
- Taekwondo
- Gymnastics.
- Diving.
- Ballet.
- Swimming.
How do eating disorders conflict with sports?
There are 3 main reasons why eating disorders are more common among some female athletes Among others, they are:
- Sports that depend on the players' weight for effectiveness.
- Some players prefer their bodies to always look perfect, which exposes them to certain risks.
- If a player goes over a certain weight, she can't join many tournaments.
Although most evidence shows a strong link between sports and a positive body image, many players still can’t stick to their set diet, which keeps them anxious about their food, calories, and body shape. This issue is common in the sports community.
Many female athletes follow very strict diets to hit the required weight. Studies show 5% of female athletes suffer from eating disorders, especially during adolescence due to hormonal and physical changes.
The causes of eating disorders aren't well known but research is ongoing to spot early signs for quicker detection. Some causes are known, they are:
- Genetics: It was found that often there are genes in grandparents or parents that make them prone to eating disorders.
- Type 1 diabetes:About 25% of women with type 2 diabetes may show some signs of eating disorders because of their diet and insulin regulation.
- Body obsession: Trying to get the ideal body like in ads.
- Anxiety disorder: Worrying about weight, or social phobia disorder.
Diagnosis and suitable options for treating eating disorders
Eating disorder might have put the girl's life at risk, So early diagnosis can help recovery better, especially with female athletes, Because most of them don't have enough awareness of this issue, and they believe this is best for them, many physical and medical tests show the damage eating disorders cause to overall body health.
Checking that healthy habits are practiced, then focusing on avoiding loss of bones, minerals or missed periods, then taking tests about eating disorder behaviors and eating routines. For severe cases, doctors first fix physical problems caused by the disorder, then follow a medical and psychological program.
There are some steps you stick to during treatment:
- Daily treatment program.
- Recovery program.
There are few medications that contribute to eating disorders like antidepressants and drugs that change a person's mood. Lately, awareness of eating disorders has grown due to their spread, so you'll find many articles on Fitness Garage blog about eating disorders.
