Disordered Eating + Runners

A Troublesome Combination

Eating disorders don’t happen overnight. A runner doesn’t wake up on Monday and need to be hospitalized because last week he or she "came down with" anorexia nervosa, an illness characterized by an obsessive effort to lose weight and become thin through self-imposed starvation. Nor are runners forced to sit out this weekend’s race because they unfortunately just "caught" bulimia nervosa—a vicious cycle of attempting to control one’s weight by under-eating or dieting that then leads to overeating and purging the unwanted calories by vomiting, using laxatives, or compulsively exercising.

In fact, long before performance falls off, vomiting after meals is uncovered, or significant weight loss is apparent, warning signs exist that point to a runner struggling with food, weight, and a negative body image. Living on this slippery slope is energy-sapping, full of potential landmines like stress fractures and chronic overuse injuries—and it erodes the athlete’s confidence, self-esteem, and quality of life. After all, what’s happening on someone’s plate is also happening in their life. The bottom line: An athlete doesn’t need to be diagnosed with a full-blown eating disorder to be in trouble and need help.

The best treatment for eating disorders is prevention. Once entrenched, the extreme emotions, attitudes and behaviors surrounding weight and food issues indicative of anorexia or bulimia nervosa are life-threatening and are extremely difficult to dislodge. The best chance for recovery lies with professional treatment, which is costly and typically takes years. That’s why it’s so imperative to intervene early to redirect runners engaged in disordered eating and compulsive exercise habits or who are at risk for developing a poor body image. Real progress, however, will come only when the running community as a whole acknowledges and actively works to stop harmful practices based on distorted beliefs about food, weight and performance that continue to thrive and drive many runners down the wrong path.

Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating: What’s the Link?

While eating disorders in runners may appear to begin with or be about food and weight concerns, they are much more than that, and they don’t develop overnight. An eating disorder is a coping strategy that an individual uses to deal with deeper problems that are too painful or difficult to address directly. Not eating certain foods or chasing a specific number on the scale (or a specific body fat percentage) serves as a distraction; it’s a way for the person to be more perfect, to feel happy, to feel unique, special or valued, or to feel empowered and in control, because he or she doesn’t feel this way in other important areas of his or her life.