NEDA TOOLKIT for Coaches and Trainers
• Look for ways of enhancing performance that do
not focus on weight, e.g., strength, endurance
and physical skills training, as well as trainings
that emphasize mental and emotional aspects of
performance. • Enlist the help of trainers, who often have good
rapport with athletes, and who may be the best
people to first sit an athlete down to express
concerns. Qualified trainers may also be able to talk
to athletes about the importance of nutrition in
strength and endurance training.
• Avoid comparing athletes’ bodies to one another,
especially if the athlete of comparison has an eating
disorder. Coaches should also discourage body
comparisons among and between teammates, as
well as “fat talk” (interactions between teammates
that involve negative body talk). This kind of
dialogue can trigger “competitive thinness” in some
athletes. • Provide factual and scientifically supported
nutrition information, not personal opinion or fad
diets. Page | 33