Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are not a lack of will or defect in behavior. They are a treatable mental condition that is usually due to a maladaptive order. The main types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, A third type, binge-eating disorder, has been suggested but has not yet been approved as a formal psychiatric diagnosis. Eating disorders frequently develop during adolescence or early adulthood, but some reports indicate their onset can occur during childhood or later in adulthood. An estimated 0.5 to 3.7 percent of females suffer from anorexia nervosa in their lifetime. People with this disorder see themselves as overweight even though they are dangerously thin. The process of eating becomes an obsession. Unusual eating habits develop, such as avoiding food and meals, picking out a few foods and eating these in small quantities, or carefully weighing and portioning food. People with anorexia may repeatedly check their body weight, and many engage in other techniques to control their weight, such as intense and compulsive exercise, or purging by means of vomiting and abuse of laxatives, enemas, and diuretics. Girls with anorexia often experience a delayed onset of their first menstrual period. Anorexia can slow the heart rate and lower blood pressure, increasing the chance of heart failure. Those who use drugs to stimulate vomiting, bowel movements, or urination are also at high risk for heart failure. Starvation can also lead to heart failure, as well as damage the brain. Anorexia may also cause hair and nails to grow brittle. Skin may dry out, become yellow, and develop a covering of soft hair called lanugo. Mild anemia, swollen joints, reduced muscle mass, and light-headedness also commonly occur as a consequence of this eating disorder. Severe cases of anorexia can lead to brittle bones that break easily as a result of calcium loss. Coaches must be able to distinguish the physical symptoms. The deeper seeded issues must be attended to first. Why des the player feel that this is the answer? Is the training schedule too intense for the player? Each program must be tailor fit to the individual. Players will respond differently to different stressors and must be led in a nondestructive direction. The first goal for the treatment of anorexia is to