ABSTRACT
Although clinical eating disorders (EDs) historically have been considered a woman’s disorder, both male and female athletes experience body image concerns and weight and performance pressures, internalize sociocultural ideals, and engage in restrictive eating and weight control (Petrie & Greenleaf, 2007). EDs and disordered eating (DE) are serious psychological conditions that involve distortions in eating, weight-control, and body-related perceptions (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Clinical EDs include anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS). Individuals with AN maintain very low body weight, have extreme fear of weight gain and distorted body image, experience negative self-evaluation, and are amenorrheic (for postmenarchal women). BN is identified by episodic binge eating and compensatory behaviors (e.g., vomiting), along with negative self-evaluation. Individuals with EDNOS meet some, but not all, of the criteria for AN or BN, and include disorders such as binge eating. Athletes also may experience symptoms of EDs that are problematic, which are referred to as subclinical disorders. Subclinical EDs are problematic because the level of psychological disturbances is similar to what is found with clinical EDs (e.g., Petrie, Greenleaf, Reel, & Carter, 2009).
