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MALES ATHLETES
I think an athlete
is experiencing disordered eating. What do I do?
In general:
1) Know what resources and
professionals are available. You will need
support dealing with these issues. Find out who
is working with athletes experiencing disordered
eating in your community. Refer your athlete to
them for help, guidance and assessment making
sure you don’t gender stereotype. Men have
eating disorders too. Learn what you can about
disordered eating, weight preoccupation and body
image issues for athletes but do not take on the
role of counselor or therapist. Begin a list of
professionals who are qualified to help athletes
with disordered eating issues.
2) Look at your own beliefs.
Think about your own feelings about food and weight,
being fat and being thin and the ways that you
cope with stressful situations. Are you feeling
good or bad about the way you look? How do your
attitudes and beliefs impact athletes in your
care? Strive to be a role model for positive attitudes
about food, weight, and body image.
3) Think of disordered eating
as a coping mechanism. Consider and respect
that the reason an athlete is using food to cope
is because there are deeper underlying issues
and concerns. Help him to find healthy coping
mechanisms and lead him to a professional for
guidance. Praise him for taking action and trying
to cope with his difficulties.
4) Discuss your concerns with
the athlete. Ask the athlete how she feels
and mention some of the signs and symptoms that
you are noticing. Be honest and clear. Say that
you are worried and want to find someone to help.
5) Let the athlete know that
disordered eating behaviours or concerns will
not necessarily prevent him from participating
in his sport. An athlete will be less likely
to talk about his problem or a related issue if
he fears having to leave his sport to deal with
his disordered eating. Let him know that his participation
will be affected only if the eating issues continue
and place his health at risk.
6) Watch for disordered eating
attitudes and behaviours ‘spreading’
among other athletes. If an athlete who
is naturally thin is performing well, others may
believe they need to lose weight to do well. Be
aware that competitive thinness may be part of
your sport environment.
To Approach the Athlete:
1) Be compassionate. Discuss
your concerns with the athlete in an open and
informal (but private) manner. Present yourself
with understanding and empathy, acting as a concerned
person (rather than an expert) who the athlete
can talk to. Let the athlete know that you would
like to support her in getting the help that is
needed.
2) Be specific. When
you are worried that an athlete has disordered
eating, be specific about the things you have
noticed when you talk with him. Let him know that
these things concern you.
3) Listen carefully to the
feelings underneath words. An athlete might
say “I am so fat!”. Instead of replying:
”No you’re not.” Simply say
“So, you aren’t feeling too comfortable
about your body today. Is something bothering
you?” Hear what the athlete is not saying.
4) Avoid laying blame on yourself
or the person experiencing disordered eating.
Disordered eating is a coping mechanism for deeper
issues and can be complicated. There are many
contributing factors that together, can make an
athlete more sensitive and vulnerable to disordered
eating issues.
To Support the Athlete:
1) Be patient. The
athlete’s first instinct might be to reject
you. Be careful and sensitive when discussing
the topic. Accept any information or discussion
as a step in the right direction. Leave the door
open for the athlete to speak to you again.
2) Affirm the athlete’s
participation on the team. Let the athlete
know that she is a valuable part of her team and
that you want her to perform well without compromising
her health. Tell her that you understand that
the demands of life and sport may have contributed
to her disordered eating issues.
3) Encourage the first step
taken. Always let an athlete know that
sharing his story with somebody is the first and
biggest step towards changing the situation.
4) Seek professional help
for an athlete under the age of 16 and recommend
help to an athlete older than 16. You may
need to decide whether you feel an athlete should
still be competing if her health is in jeopardy.
You can always seek information from professionals,
books, and websites in ways to address the problem
and provide support for the athlete, yourself
and the athlete’s family.
5) Make promises you can keep.
If you are obligated to inform other caretakers
or professionals, or the athletes’ parents,
ensure that the athlete knows this first. Follow
through and follow-up with anything you offer
the athlete.
Information on this pages
has been adapted from ,Heidi Mack (1996) Disordered
Eating Prevention and Education Training Manual.
www.heidimack.ca
used with permission
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