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NEDA TOOLKIT for Educators I’m noticing some changes in weight, eating habits, exercise, etc., with an athlete, but I’m not sure if it’s an eating disorder. How can I tell? Unless you are a physician or a clinician, you can’t make a diagnosis, but you can refer the athlete to appropriate resources that might help. Keep in mind, however, that denial is typically a big part of eating disorder behavior and an athlete may be unreceptive to the suggestion that anything is wrong. Often it takes several conversations before the athlete is ready to listen to your concerns. What if I say the wrong thing and make it worse? Family, friends, school staff and coaches often express concern about saying the wrong thing and making the eating disorder worse. Just as it is unlikely that a person can say something to make the eating disorder significantly better, it is also unlikely that someone can say something to make the disorder worse. Saying nothing can be a bigger risk. A group of athletes is dieting together. What should we do? Seeing an athlete develop an eating issue or disorder can sometimes lead other athletes to feel confused, afraid, or full of self-doubt. They may begin to question their own values about thinness, healthy eating, weight loss, dieting, and body image. At times athletes may imitate the behavior of their teammates. Imitating the behavior may be a way of dealing with fear, trying to relate to the teammate with the eating disorder, or trying to understand the illness. In other cases, a group of athletes dieting together can create competition around weight loss and unhealthy habits. If dieting is part of the accepted norm of the team, it can be difficult for any athlete seeking peer acceptance to resist joining the behavior. Approaching an athlete who is imitating the behavior of a teammate with an eating disorder should be similar to approaching an athlete with a suspected eating problem. What should be done when rumors are circulating about a student with an eating disorder? If a student has an eating disorder and other students are talking about it to the point where the student with the eating disorder is uncomfortable coming to school, a strategy to deal with the gossip should be implemented. When a student is suspected of having or is diagnosed with an eating disorder, fellow students may have different reactions. Rumors often develop that further isolate the student experiencing the eating disorder and reinforce the stigma of mental illness, potentially discouraging those who are struggling from getting necessary help and support. Rumors can also be a form of bullying. Here are some suggested strategies: • Assess the role of the rumors. Sometimes rumors indicate students’ feelings of discomfort or fear. • Demystify the illness. Eating disorders can sometimes become glamorized or mysterious. Provide accurate, age-appropriate information that focuses on several aspects of the illness such as the causes as well as the social and psychological consequences (not only the extreme physical consequences). • Work privately with students who are instigating and/or perpetuating rumors: talk about confidentiality and its value. For example, promote the idea that medical information is private and therefore no one’s business. Without identifying the students as instigators of the rumors, encourage them to develop strategies for dealing with the rumors by establishing a sense of shared concern and responsibility. For example, “Can you help me work out a way of stopping rumors about (student’s name), as he/she is finding them very upsetting?” Page  | 6