To lose weight and achieve a lean appearance the female athlete may resort to harmful eating behaviors:
- restricting food intake
- fasting
- binge eating (overeating)
- purging (vomiting and using laxatives, diuretics or enemas; excessive exercise)
- taking diet pills
Some girls may develop true anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa but they don’t require a diagnosis of one of these eating disorders to have what’s called disordered eating.
That’s a very important point: Girls may say “I’m not anorexic,” or “I’m not bulimic,” but they don’t have to be in order to have disordered eating. That’s precisely why this component of the triad was named “disordered eating” and not “eating disorder.”
Other factors may contribute to disordered eating, such as the desire for perfection and the desire to excel and win at any cost. Some girls may also be influenced by low self-esteem, depression, family dysfunction, and physical or sexual abuse.
Behavioral signs of disordered eating include:
- Preoccupation with food and weight.
- An expressed concern over being too fat.
- Frequently eating alone.
- Trips to the bathroom during or right after eating.
- Increasing self-criticism.
- Feet facing backward in bathroom stall — bulimics may vomit so quietly it sounds like urination.
Unfortunately, many athletes think these types of eating practices are OK. They may have been told that losing weight enhances performance. The truth is that these eating behaviors are dangerous and that inadequate caloric intake and being underweight can actually worsen their physical performance. An athlete with disordered eating just won’t have the energy to perform at her best.
The health effects of disordered eating include:
- weight loss
- amenorrhea
- constipation
- dizziness
- hair loss
- yellow skin
- decreased body temperature
- bradycardia (low heart rate)
- hypotension (low blood pressure)
- acrocyanosis (blue fingers and toes)
- edema (swelling)
- dry skin
- cold extremities
- loss of muscle mass
- dehydration
- hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
- fluid and electrolyte abnormalities, such as low potassium
- cardiac arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm)
- anemia
- osteoporosis
- psychological problems, such as depression and anxiety