Athletes are at increased risk to develop eating disorders and other pathogenic weight control techniques. Often sports place significant emphasis on weight and body fat composition. Athletes may be asked or encouraged to lose weight quickly. Most will do this through restrictive eating which can be a precursor to Eating disorders. Like some people with eating disorders, athletes may be perfectionists, have a strong desire to please others, base their self-assessment on achievement and performance, and be willing to tolerate pain and to sacrifice themselves to meet their goals. Those sports which most emphasize weight control, thinness, and appearance place athletes at significant risk to develop eating disorders. Gymnastics, cheerleading, dancing, figure skating, diving, swimming, crew, track, wrestling, and equestrian sports exert the most risk due to the weight and appearance demands associated with them.

The recent death of competitive gymnast Christy Henrich illustrates the price an athlete may pay for compliance with the demands for a low body weight. Parents, educators, health care personnel, coaches, and all schools and universities must work together to prevent similar tragedies.

EATING DISORDERS SERIOUSLY ENDANGER THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF STUDENT ATHLETES. ALL PERSONNEL INVOLVED IN THE TEACHING, COACHING, TRAINING, AND SUPPORT OF SPORTS, DANCE AND OTHER PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE RISK FACTORS AND THE PIVOTAL ROLE THEY CAN HAVE IN THE PREVENTION OF EATING DISORDERS.

Coaches, trainers, physical educators, dance teachers, and related professionals have the unique opportunity to promote the physical and psychological development and well-being of young people. They should emphasize health at all times and recognize that student athletes are complex psychological beings who manage many stressors. To achieve this, the following recommendations are made:

• Coaches, trainers, and physical educators should receive education on the nutritional needs of athletes due to the stress of their training and competition.
• Coaches, trainers, and physical educators should be trained to recognize the signs and symptoms of eating disorders and to understand the potential effect sports may have on such problems.
• Coaches, trainers and physical educators should identify and refer student athletes for assessment and treatment of eating disorders and should work cooperatively with student and clinical personnel to assure full recovery of eating disorder athletes.
• Coaches, Trainers, and physical educators emphasize the physical risk of low weight, particularly when female athletes have menstural irregularities of amenorrhea. Medical assessment should be obtained in such cases.
• Coaches, trainers, and physical educators should actively discourage dangerous weight control techniques including restrictive eating.
• Coaches, trainers, and physical educators should consider the health, physical and emotional safety and self-image of athletes when making the decisions inclusion and exclusion on teams.
• Coaches, trainers, and physical educators should provide information via guest speakers and educational activities and materials to inform athletes and their parents about the dangers of restrictive dieting and maintaining an artificially low body weight, the importance of appropriate nutrition, and the principles of set-point theory.
• Coaches, trainers, and physical educators should encourage a positive self image and self-esteem in athletes and should understand the importance of their personal and professional role to communicate respect and validation to student athletes.

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