Get Adobe Flash player
NEDA TOOLKIT for Coaches and Trainers Disordered eating may consist of food restriction, excessive avoidance of certain types of food, or consuming fewer calories than needed for basic daily functions and sports activity. Disordered eating may include bingeing and purging and the abuse of medicines and supplements, such as laxatives, diuretics, stimulants, and appetite suppressants. Athletes suffering from disordered eating can experience chronic and substantial distress and impairment. We know that some people can be genetically more susceptible to anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa than other people are. However, there are many people who suffer from disordered eating who do not have this susceptibility. A word about obesity:  The increased attention to the high rate of obesity in America has raised some troubling questions. While reducing childhood obesity is an important goal, it needs to be done in a manner that does not increase risk for eating disorders and weight stigmatization, or provoke anxiety among children about weight, size and shape. Try to shift the paradigm to promote health and fitness rather than a desirable size or shape. For more information on this topic, read the Academy for Eating Disorders’ position paper on childhood obesity prevention programs. Page  | 7