Most girls and young women who play sports are healthy, competitive athletes. Some, however, take the competition too far, and find themselves battling eating disorders.
“Kimberly Dennis said she did have an eating disorder when she played basketball, volleyball and soccer… Dennis is now Dr. Dennis and Medical Director at Chicago’s Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center. Dr. Dennis says individual sports like diving and gymnastics pose a greater risk for female athletes but all sports put young girls at more risk than the general population.” - Source: The 33 News (Dallas-Ft. Worth)
Some girls are genetically predisposed, while others are perfectionists. Both put girls at high risk. Kenny Medina, a girls’ soccer coach, says she watches for signs of eating disorders in her players. Changes in eating patterns and noticeable weight loss are signals that something is wrong.
On a related topic, experts have also studied the prevalence of eating disorders among male athletes.
Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton