Sophie Hicks was in junior high school when she began skipping meals in hopes that it would help her improve at the thing she loved–soccer. After breaking her leg, she was willing to do anything to get back into the game, including starving herself. Instead of scoring more goals like she’d hoped, Hicks spent her time counting calories and crying on her bathroom floor late at night after eating her first full meal of the day.
The Emily Program, an organization that works to raise awareness surrounding eating disorders and help those afflicted, explains why athletes are more susceptible to these conditions in the first place. Athletics emphasize nutrition and body awareness, which can naturally lead to overfixations on weight loss and eating. Additionally, the traits athletes tend to possess, such as perfectionism, competitiveness and more, cause them to go to drastic lengths for a chance to improve at their sport.
In a society seemingly obsessed with thinness and appearances, athletes face the added pressure of living up to the physical expectations of their sport while also trying to meet beauty standards. This is seen with the rising popularity of GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic, which could lead to a spike in eating disorders amongst adolescents. The circulation of unhealthy body messages throughout the celebrity community doesn’t help, either.
For example, images of actresses Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are everywhere during the “Wicked: For Good” media blitz that’s overtaken the pop culture scene. This extended coverage praises extreme thinness; the attention Grande, Erivo and other famous people have received due to their weight loss perpetuates the idea that thinness is the only way to achieve beauty. According to plastic surgeons, dangerously skinny physiques are currently trending, and more women desire a “ballet body.”
The popularity of one or two actresses isn’t causing a surge in eating disorders, but the current spotlight on them represents a cumulative movement of female celebrities becoming skinnier and skinnier. Children, specifically young girls, are increasingly exposed to “Hollywood’s new ultra-thin trend.”
It’s unsurprising, then, that with eating disorders on the rise, especially in adolescents, young female athletes are particularly prone to the physical and mental consequences of this condition. The National Alliance for Eating Disorders reported that 45% of all female athletes suffer from an eating disorder compared to just 8.4% of all women.
Not only are female athletes more likely to develop an eating disorder, but they are also likely to see more severe effects. Low energy, low levels of estrogen, which impacts reproductive health, compromised immune systems and an increased risk for anxiety and depression are the effects all women with eating disorders can experience. For athletes, however, there are other dangers.
Denying the body necessary nutrition decreases bone density. Since athletes put themselves into highly physical situations, they are more vulnerable to serious injuries when they aren’t eating properly.
In addition, when suffering from an eating disorder, athletes can’t perform their sports at their highest level. Speed, muscle and focus are decreased while fatigue and dehydration become more common.
“This isn’t just my story,” Hicks said in her 2022 TedxYouth@MBJH event presentation. “It’s my teammate’s stories and many other athletes as well. When I go to practice, I hear my teammates complain about their bodies; the amount of times the term ‘soccer thighs’ is used is sickening.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, contact the National Alliance for Eating Disorders helpline at 866-662-1235.
