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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