Anorexia & Bulimia
• “Athletic” eating is more likely to be directed towards improved performance rather
than weight loss or altered body shape.
• There is more emphasis on what needs to be eaten than what is forbidden.
• Eating disorders are more prevalent in weight sensitive sports such as endurance
events, weight category sports like judo and aesthetic sports like rhythmic
gymnastics, figure skating, diving, synchronised swimming and jumping events.
• These illnesses lead to impaired performances.
What is Anorexia and Anorexia Nervosa?
• Characterised by:
~ an intense fear of becoming overweight
~ body image distortion
~ denial of low weight
~ refusal or inability to maintain normal body weight
~ amenorrhoea (no period).
The lack of nutrition resulting from poor eating can cause the loss of several or more
consecutive periods.
• This leads to calcium and bone loss, putting the athlete at greatly increased risk for
stress fractures of the bones.
• The individual will fiercely limit the quantity of food consumed, characteristically
ingesting a minimal amount that is well below their body’s chronic needs, effectively
slowly starving themselves.
What is Bulimia?
• Bulimia is more common and the main features of this condition are regular and
frequent food binges, followed by a compensatory purge (self-induced vomiting) and
there is an intense fear of fatness.
• This is usually as a result of overwhelming feelings of guilt after eating.
• They compensate by vomiting, abusing laxatives or excessively exercising.
• “Athletic” eating is more likely to be directed towards improved performance rather
than weight loss or altered body shape.
• There is more emphasis on what needs to be eaten than what is forbidden.
• Eating disorders are more prevalent in weight sensitive sports such as endurance
events, weight category sports like judo and aesthetic sports like rhythmic
gymnastics, figure skating, diving, synchronised swimming and jumping events.
• These illnesses lead to impaired performances.
What is Anorexia and Anorexia Nervosa?
• Characterised by:
~ an intense fear of becoming overweight
~ body image distortion
~ denial of low weight
~ refusal or inability to maintain normal body weight
~ amenorrhoea (no period).
The lack of nutrition resulting from poor eating can cause the loss of several or more
consecutive periods.
• This leads to calcium and bone loss, putting the athlete at greatly increased risk for
stress fractures of the bones.
• The individual will fiercely limit the quantity of food consumed, characteristically
ingesting a minimal amount that is well below their body’s chronic needs, effectively
slowly starving themselves.
What is Bulimia?
• Bulimia is more common and the main features of this condition are regular and
frequent food binges, followed by a compensatory purge (self-induced vomiting) and
there is an intense fear of fatness.
• This is usually as a result of overwhelming feelings of guilt after eating.
• They compensate by vomiting, abusing laxatives or excessively exercising.
