Let's
be honest -- eating disorders among college athletes, especially
female, are real. And, according to a study spearheaded by
Heather Hausenblas, a University of Florida researcher, athletes
who participate in aesthetic sports (i.e. gymnastics, diving,
and figure skating) appear more at risk of falling prey to
anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating than non-athletes. This,
suggests the study, which included over 10,000 athletes, is
mainly because sports are heavy on competition, and often
have "need to be thin to win" stigma attached.
So what's being done to combat such findings? Fortunately,
for eating disorder victims, athletic departments at many
universities are stepping up to the plate to address the issue.
At many schools, there's a new team in the house -- this one
consisting of a physician, psychologist and/or counselor,
nutritionist, and a member of the athletic department.
Amy
Magnuson, sports nutritionist for Florida State University,
is part of one of these helpful teams. She does everything
from evaluating what lead to an athlete's eating disorder
and explaining the consequences of starving, purging, and
binging, to establishing a healthy dietary program -- with
the athletes input, of course. The whole point, says Magnuson,
is educating the athlete about healthy eating habits and behavior.
Other schools, including Stanford University, University of
Tennessee, St. John's University, University of California-Los
Angeles, University of Chicago, University of Illinois-Chicago,
and Pennsylvania State University, also offer eating disorder
programs for their student athletes.
Educators and eating disorder-prevention organizations are
also lending their knowledge and support toward the cause.
Joanne Chopak, an associate professor in the department of
health and kinesiology at Georgia Southern University, agrees
that the expertise of a sports nutritionist is vital to helping
athletes overcome their eating disorder.
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