Katrin Elisabeth Giel1,2, Anne Hermann-Werner1, Jochen Mayer3, Katharina Diehl4, Sven Schneider4, Ansgar Thiel3, Stephan Zipfel1. 1. Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical University Hospital Tübingen, Germany. 2. Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, Medical University Hospital Heidelberg, Germany. 3. Institute of Sport Science, University of Tübingen, Germany. 4. Mannheim Institute of Public Health, Social and Preventive Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Germany.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate eating disorder pathology in German elite adolescent athletes. Evidence suggests that eating disorder pathology is more common in adult elite sports, especially in female athletes and in sports emphasizing leanness. There is a scarcity of studies in elite adolescent athletes who are in a vulnerable developmental stage and are affected by general as well as sport-specific risk factors. METHOD: Our data was derived from the German Young Olympic Athletes' Lifestyle and Health Management Study (GOAL) which conducted a survey in 1138 elite adolescent athletes. In this sample, we assessed body weight, weight control behavior, body acceptance and screened overall for core symptoms of eating disorders, depression and anxiety. We performed a tree analysis to identify high risk groups for eating disorder pathology. RESULTS: High risk groups comprised (a) athletes competing in weight dependent sports, and among athletes competing in disciplines other than weight dependent sports (b) athletes who are high on negative affectivity, (c) female athletes and (d) male athletes competing in endurance, technical or power sports. Athletes competing in weight dependent disciplines reported wide spread use of compensatory behaviors to influence body weight. Athletes reporting eating disorder pathology showed higher levels of depression and anxiety than athletes without eating disorder pathology. DISCUSSION: Increased psychosocial burden in athletes with eating disorder pathology suggests that eating disorder symptoms should not be accepted as an unproblematic and functional part of elite sports. The prevention and management of eating disorder pathology is especially important in weight dependent sports.
OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate eating disorder pathology in German elite adolescent athletes. Evidence suggests that eating disorder pathology is more common in adult elite sports, especially in female athletes and in sports emphasizing leanness. There is a scarcity of studies in elite adolescent athletes who are in a vulnerable developmental stage and are affected by general as well as sport-specific risk factors. METHOD: Our data was derived from the German Young Olympic Athletes' Lifestyle and Health Management Study (GOAL) which conducted a survey in 1138 elite adolescent athletes. In this sample, we assessed body weight, weight control behavior, body acceptance and screened overall for core symptoms of eating disorders, depression and anxiety. We performed a tree analysis to identify high risk groups for eating disorder pathology. RESULTS: High risk groups comprised (a) athletes competing in weight dependent sports, and among athletes competing in disciplines other than weight dependent sports (b) athletes who are high on negative affectivity, (c) female athletes and (d) male athletes competing in endurance, technical or power sports. Athletes competing in weight dependent disciplines reported wide spread use of compensatory behaviors to influence body weight. Athletes reporting eating disorder pathology showed higher levels of depression and anxiety than athletes without eating disorder pathology. DISCUSSION: Increased psychosocial burden in athletes with eating disorder pathology suggests that eating disorder symptoms should not be accepted as an unproblematic and functional part of elite sports. The prevention and management of eating disorder pathology is especially important in weight dependent sports.
Authors: Jason M Nagata; Jennifer L Carlson; Jessica M Kao; Neville H Golden; Stuart B Murray; Rebecka Peebles Journal: Int J Eat Disord Date: 2017-11-07 Impact factor: 4.861
Authors: Katherine Schaumberg; Elisabeth Welch; Lauren Breithaupt; Christopher Hübel; Jessica H Baker; Melissa A Munn-Chernoff; Zeynep Yilmaz; Stefan Ehrlich; Linda Mustelin; Ata Ghaderi; Andrew J Hardaway; Emily C Bulik-Sullivan; Anna M Hedman; Andreas Jangmo; Ida A K Nilsson; Camilla Wiklund; Shuyang Yao; Maria Seidel; Cynthia M Bulik Journal: Eur Eat Disord Rev Date: 2017-10-02
Authors: Vincent Gouttebarge; João Mauricio Castaldelli-Maia; Paul Gorczynski; Brian Hainline; Mary E Hitchcock; Gino M Kerkhoffs; Simon M Rice; Claudia L Reardon Journal: Br J Sports Med Date: 2019-06 Impact factor: 13.800
Authors: Yannis Karrer; Robin Halioua; Sonja Mötteli; Samuel Iff; Erich Seifritz; Matthias Jäger; Malte Christian Claussen Journal: BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med Date: 2020-10-23