Disordered Eating

It's no secret that disordered eating practices are common among weight-conscious athletes. A top sports dietitian has some helpful tips for making weight healthfully.

Sports promote health, team work, and leadership. Sometimes, however, athletes develop eating disorders, and they are not always easy to spot it right away. A psychotherapists and nutritionist provides parents with information on the warning signs of an eating disorder, and how to help their child if they have one.

As summer winds down and school starts up again, many students are feeling the pressure to show off their new wardrobes and look their best. And with awkward body changes and constant pressure from the media, being around their peers could stir up fierce competition, especially in girls, leaving some to battle symptoms of anorexia nervosa, says an eating disorder specialist.

There is good news about eating disorders. As a friend, parent, or coach, you can help prevent them in young athletes!

If you are like most sports parents, you simply want to know how to find valid information that tells you what and when to feed your young athlete so they can perform at their best. Here's a list of websites, books, and key resources to help you fuel wisely, eat healthfully, and feel confident with your food choices.

Driven athletes possess similar personality traits to individuals who suffer from anorexia nervosa, which may predispose them to the potential development of an eating disorder. For this reason, and with fall sports in full swing, experts encourage parents, coaches and athletes themselves to understand and minimize athletic activities and pressures that could potentially lead to disordered eating.

Adapting to a new school environment, increased academic demands, peer pressure, and the physiological changes of adolescence can create a perfect storm in which a highly sensitive, high-achieving, perfectionist teen may turn to disordered eating as a way to cope, says an expert.

For all the great things about summer camp, it may also be a place where children, away from parental supervision for weeks or even months, can develop disordered eating behaviors, say experts.  Here are some tips to help parents plan a healthy, fun camp experience for their children and proactively practice eating disorders prevention.

As college freshmen across the U.S. return home for the holidays, thousands of parents will - for the first time - discover eating disorders that developed during their child's first semester.