Small victories: Prevention of eating disorders among athletes

Abstract

Eating disorders are more common among competitive athletes. Risk factors that increase vulnerability to eating disorders include both “appearance thinness” and “performance thinness.” Prevention efforts directed to athletes have increased in the last few years and several examples of small victories are described, including prohibitions against steroid use in body builders and actions taken by the International Olympics Committee and USA Gymnastics. The need for further research into the effect of fat content on performance is needed to counter the current prevailing belief that weight and fat loss per se improve performance.