Signs And Symptoms Of Eating Disorders In Athletes

Anorexia Nervosa

Definition: Anorexia Nervosa is a serious life-threatening disorder characterized by deliberate self-starvation. The person becomes obsessed with food, weight, counting calories, and vigorous exercise.

1. Refusal to maintain even a minimal normal weight consistent with the athlete’s sport, age, and height.
2. Intense fear of becoming fat accompanied by repeated concerns by an athlete about being or feeling fat even when weight is below  average.
3. Periods of severe calorie restriction or repeated days of fasting. Starvation may also occur when the athlete is continuing to eat but is eliminating entire food groups from his / her diet (i.e. fat, protein or calcium).
4. Evidence of purposeless, excessive physical activity (especially in a thin athlete) that is not part of the training regimen.
5. Slowed heart rate and low blood pressure
6. Reduced body temperature and being sensitive to cold – cold hands and feet.
7. Complaints of light-headedness and dizziness
8. Muscular weakness
9. Depression, irritability
10. Anti-social, isolative behavior
11. Perfectionistic

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