3 Ways the Eating Disorder Bulimia Nervosa Affects Adolescent Athletes
By Dane Louis
Along with anorexia nervosa and binge eating disorder, bulimia nervosa is one of the most common conditions requiring eating disorder treatment in the United States. With an average age of onset of 18, bulimia nervosa presents in millions of teenage boys and girls every year. Bulimia nervosa can have severe health and psychological risks requiring eating disorder recovery at a local bulimia nervosa treatment center, which can be dangerous and even fatal if left untreated. Some symptoms of bulimia nervosa include:
- A cycle of binge eating episodes, where the individual eats a large amount of food in a short time
- Compensatory purging behaviors following the binge eating episodes –most well known, self-induced vomiting, but also laxative or diuretic abuse or extreme exercising
- Body dysmorphia (a common occurrence also necessitating eating disorder recovery programs), in which the individual sees imaginary flaws
- A compulsion to engage in these behaviors are a stress response or coping mechanism related to anxiety (similar in some regards to OCD) Feelings of self-loathing, shame, or guilt in regard to these behaviors
Athletes Are at Greater Risk – Here’s Why
- Weight restrictions
Image by Keith Johnston from Pixabay
Many popular sports, especially those in which more females than males participate, contain weight restrictions. Some, such as wrestling, are traditionally more popular with boys than girls, but several others are equally popular. These can include martial arts and boxing. Local bulimia nervosa treatment centers have isolated that a common cause of bulimia nervosa is the belief of being overweight or “fat” even when evidence proves otherwise.
This makes adolescent athletes in these sports prone to even more than usual focusing on their weight, and the stresses from this rigid focus on a certain target weight can influence the stresses that trigger the binge eating episodes and their subsequent purging behaviors. A major factor in eating disorder recovery involves a sense of self-acceptance and a mindful attitude toward oneself and one’s body, and the stress of making a certain weight can put unnatural anxiety on girls trying to reach it.
2. Showing the body in public
Many other sports and athletic activities commonly practiced among adolescent girls require them to wear uniforms which are tight or expose skin. The eating disorder bulimia nervosa, as noted above, often carries as a component a sense that the body is flawed, even if that is a skewed perception. Certain sports, like swimming or diving, obviously necessitate wearing a swimsuit, but other sports often also require uniforms that expose the body. These include running and cross-country, volleyball, soccer, and gymnastics.
In cases where a local bulimia nervosa treatment center may not deem a case full-blown, the anxiety and stress caused by having to wear a tight or body-exposing uniform or swimsuit can set off the feelings of body disgust in adolescents. As a stress response, the athlete may turn to previously sublimated urges to binge eat. And then, the feelings of guilt surrounding the binging behaviors can result in subsequent purging behaviors.
Also of note is that certain extracurriculars not normally considered “athletics” which are common among teenage girls also require weight classes and tight clothing. These can include ballet, other dance programs, cheerleading, and beauty pageants. The stress on “thinness” and beauty in these activities, similarly, can worsen body image issues the participants may have.
3. Over-focus on exercise
One of the many ways that the eating disorder bulimia nervosa can manifest is engagement in excessive exercise as a purging behavior. When combined with the stress on aerobic exercise in many sports, especially long-distance running, bicycling, and swimming, this can cause a few disordered behaviors in adolescent athletes. It can enforce a compulsion to purge by reinforcing the dopamine effects that come from exercise, in essence causing an addiction to exercise. Participation in an activity like these also provides an “excuse” for excessive workouts, which ties into evasive behavior commonly observed during eating disorder recovery.
Keep an Eye Out for Risk Factors in Adolescent Athletes
The overall rate of bulimia nervosa hovers around 1.2 percent in the United States. However, among athletes, that rate increases to almost 33 percent. The varying stresses surrounding weight restrictions, exposing the body in public, and excessive exercise can all trigger bulimia nervosa behaviors in teens, or make them worse. That’s why parents and educators should always keep an eye out for the warning signs of incipient bulimia nervosa in adolescent athletes, and reach out for help from a quality eating disorder recovery center sooner rather than later.
