Elite athletes face a disproportionate risk of eating disorders compared to the general population. In 2019, 19% of male and 45% of female athletes worldwide experienced disordered eating behaviors, according to the International Olympic Committee, far exceeding the 9% to 10% of Americans who will have an eating disorder in their lifetime.
Several traits that make athletes successful also increase vulnerability to disordered eating. An athlete’s constant desire to improve, intense attention to detail, unrelenting focus on achievement, and mental toughness can border on perfectionism and obsessiveness. These same characteristics—discipline, high pain tolerance, and persistence—are typically rewarded in elite sports but can drive restrictive, compulsive, or irregular eating patterns. Athletes may restrict food intake to achieve focus or delay meals to reach specific goals, and these behaviors often go unnoticed because they mirror legitimate training practices.
Weight-Sensitive Sports Bear Higher Risk
Sports that emphasize leanness and body image carry particularly elevated risk. About 46% of athletes in sports like gymnastics, wrestling, dancing, bodybuilding, and figure skating experience eating disorders, compared with almost 20% in non-weight-focused sports. Athletes in these disciplines face emphasis on maintaining thin and muscular bodies, often with weight monitoring as part of training and competition, alongside high energy demands and extreme mental and physical strain. In sports like running, rock climbing, and figure skating, the persistent belief that lower weight improves performance can drive disordered eating initially perceived as beneficial.
Barriers to Seeking Help
Despite high prevalence, athletes rarely seek treatment. A 2021 study found that among U.S. athletes with disordered eating or official diagnoses, more than 95% were not in treatment and 75% had no intention of seeking it, compared with help-seeking rates of 32% to 40% in the general population. The “no pain, no gain” culture in competitive sports discourages athletes from coming forward, as they fear restrictions on practice and competition, ostracization from teammates, or loss of sponsorship and scholarships. A lack of awareness about eating disorders and stigma toward mental health among coaches and athletic personnel further impedes treatment-seeking.
Prevention and Support
Early detection, athlete and coach education, and multi-disciplinary support teams—including therapists, sports psychologists, registered dietitians, and medical doctors—offer strong prevention strategies. The International Olympic Committee is improving pre-competition health assessments focused on body composition and vital signs to help athletes receive needed support.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.postguam.com/lifestyles/health/the-intensity-and-perfectionism-that-drive-olympic-athletes-also-put-them-at-high-risk-for/article_eb50f6ee-7628-5455-b1a7-1a4855b29536.html