At 14, Jenna just reaches the 5-foot mark. She weighs 87 pounds, and her coach orders her not to gain weight under any circumstance. She never has menstruated. Jenna, a high school freshman is a serious, competitive gymnast. (Or, it’s her coach who is competitive.)
Athletes tend to be highly competitive and disciplined individuals who go to great lengths to excel in their sports. This personality type combined with the expectations of teammates and coaches, as well as parents and spectators, may make them at higher risk of developing an eating disorder (ED). Athletes who compete in sports emphasizing appearance or require speed, lightness, agility and quickness are at higher risk for developing an ED than are non-athletes or athletes in sports that require muscle mass and bulk.
EDs are most common in athletes who participate in the following sports: ballet and other dance, figure skating, gymnastics, running, swimming, rowing, horse racing, wrestling and cheerleading. Males and female athletes are susceptible to EDs, although a greater percent of EDs are found in women. Female athletes are three to six times more likely to exhibit disordered eating than their non-athletic peers. Consequently, they may suffer lifelong physical and psychiatric complications. Be aware if the teen’s eating behaviors change drastically, it’s often an attempt to improve performance.
The real threat to an athlete with an ED is the extreme stress placed upon the body. The very practice of self-starvation, purging or obsessive exercise has a detrimental effect on performance. The process of binging and purging results in loss of fluid and low potassium levels, which can cause extreme weakness, as well as dangerous and sometimes lethal heart rhythms. Hard physical training at an early age can cause serious bone damage. Accumulated evidence suggests athletic amenorrhea to be related to energy deficiency or to the EDs that are prevalent among athletes. The long-term consequences of amenorrhea are premature osteoporosis and increased risk of musculoskeletal injury.
This attempt to reduce body fat by extreme measures not only leads to decreased exercise performance, but can lead to severe health complications. Nutrient deficiencies and fluid/electrolyte imbalance from low food intake can lead to increased risk of fractures, illness, loss of reproductive function and serious medical conditions such as dehydration and starvation. The medical complications of this triad involve almost every body function and include the cardiovascular, endocrine, reproductive, skeletal, gastrointestinal, renal and central nervous systems.
From his first contact with Adam and Eve, Satan has been lying to us, persuading us to live in falsehood rather than truth. There is one thing each person with an ED has in common—distortions in thinking. The good news is not just the athlete, but most every person has the ability to train his or her mind and actually change the brain. Science is now proving what the Bible has said all along. God designed us with the ability to change our own brains. With the proper counsel, we actually can rewire our minds. This is called plasticity or neuroplasticity (also known as cortical re-mapping). It refers to the ability of the human brain to change as a result of one’s experience because the brain is plastic and malleable.
The brain can remember and learn stuff, so it’s not surprising that it changes with use; but plasticity is different than memory. It refers to the actual rewiring of the structure of the brain for a new type of use. Brain plasticity has two primary functions: developmental and damage repair. So when God says we are to renew our minds (
A person with an ED is not content with his or her body or with life. He or she believes the lie that being thin is the only answer. God sent Jesus into the world to reveal the truth. Focusing on the truth is the key to mind renewal, and it incapacitates our enemy.
You Can Help Save a Life
• Emphasize fun and fitness rather than competition and slimness. Be concerned if a student’s activity level increases suddenly. Start talking and building up traits in young people that don’t revolve around personal appearance.
• Educate. Teens need to know that some body fat is normal and necessary to store energy, keep skin and nerves functioning, and for females to make menstruation and pregnancy possible. Also essential are strong muscles, which too often are mistaken for fat. Students must learn that dieting often does more harm than good. Body image is only a small piece of who we are. Teens must understand their bodies are much more than eye candy.
• Describe what you may have noticed about his or her behavior. One youth leader, after hearing a teen purge in the gym toilet, asked in front of her friends, “Are you making yourself throw up?” Ashamed and embarrassed she yelled back, “No! You’re crazy!” Take her aside privately; talk and let her know you are concerned about what you see.
• Talk about what is happening. Being an athlete comes with many expectations and stressors. Find an athlete who has recovered from an ED, who is willing to tell his or her story and offer encouragement.
• Find an outlet of expression other than sports that will allow the teen to share the inner chaos caused by stress, such as arts and crafts, sculpting, drama or comedy, music, singing or journaling. The library is also a great setting for teens to discover their passion for creativity.
• Encourage him or her to get involved in a humanitarian effort, volunteer or start a small weekly peer group to talk about common issues.
• Help him or her develop new healthy rewards and realistic goals that are greater than the need to be athletically thin. Be specific and as exact as possible. Have him or her write down exactly what they want to achieve and post it in a place where they will see it every day. Use positive terms.
• Have him or her share their goals and dreams. Setting goals, talking about dreams and being in relationship with God helps any student find unique purpose.
• Encourage him or her to believe in him or herself and stay positive about his or her progress. Humans are adaptive creatures. Just as we learn negative behaviors (coping mechanisms), we can unlearn them.
• Be flexible and patient. Remember adolescence is hard enough without these complications. Keep in mind that setbacks happen. Don’t get discouraged and give up.
• Above all, pray for wisdom, strength and understanding.
• Locate a professional who specializes in eating disorders.
Also, keep in mind teens are in the position of being role models to younger children. The best way to teach a teen to be a good role model to others is to be a good role model yourself. As you make choices and live a godly lifestyle that provides the right kind of examples for teens, you help them see they can make a difference by being a role model to others.
Hang in there and have hope. I won’t lie: EDs are very tough, but beatable. “The Lord is the Spirit who gives them life, and where he is there is freedom” (
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Kimberly volunteers in student ministries and youth education outreach. She is the author of four books, including Torn Between Two Masters: Encouraging Teens to Live Authentically in a Celebrity-Obsessed World.
