The Hidden Struggle in Sports: Eating Disorders, Disordered Eating, and Body Image Issues Among Athletes
Risks of Eating Disorders, Disordered Eating and Body Image Issues Amongst Athletes
Athletes are often celebrated for their discipline, strength, and commitment—but beneath the surface, many face unique challenges with eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image concerns.
While these issues can affect anyone, certain sports environments can make athletes especially vulnerable. In this post, we’ll explore why athletes—including dancers, wrestlers, horse jockeys, and many others—are at higher risk, how these struggles manifest, and what can be done to support healthier outcomes.
Why Are Athletes at Higher Risk for Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating?
The world of competitive sports is filled with pressure: to perform, to win, and often, to look a certain way. In many sports, there’s a strong emphasis on body weight, shape, or composition, which can lead athletes to adopt unhealthy eating behaviors in pursuit of an “ideal” physique or to meet weight requirements. This pressure doesn’t just come from coaches or judges—it can also come from teammates, family, the media, and even the athletes themselves.
Research shows that the prevalence of eating disorders is higher in athletes than in the general population, with rates ranging from 6–45% in female athletes and up to 19% in male athletes, depending on the sport and level of competition. Sports that focus on leanness, aesthetics, or weight classes—like dance, wrestling, and horse racing—pose an especially high risk.
How Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating Show Up in Athletes
Eating disorders in athletes aren’t always easy to spot. Many athletes may not realize their behaviors are problematic, especially if those behaviors are normalized or even praised in their sport. Some common warning signs include:
Restricting food or entire food groups
Drastic weight changes or frequent “weight cycling”
Obsessive focus on food, calories, or body shape
Skipping meals or avoiding eating with others
Using unhealthy methods to control weight (purging, laxatives, excessive exercise)
Mood shifts, anxiety, or loss of enjoyment in sport
It’s important to remember that eating disorders are mental health conditions that can have serious physical consequences—but visible physical symptoms (like extreme weight loss) are not required for someone to be struggling. Athletes of any size or shape can be affected.
Spotlight on High-Risk Sports
Dancers: Artistry Meets Pressure
Dancers, especially those in ballet, face intense scrutiny over their bodies. The drive for a lean, “ideal” physique is often built into the culture of dance, with research showing dancers have a three times higher risk of developing eating disorders compared to non-dancers. This pressure can lead to restrictive eating, over-exercising, and a constant preoccupation with weight and appearance.
Wrestlers: Making Weight at a Cost
Wrestlers often have to “make weight” for their category, which can mean rapid weight loss through severe restriction, dehydration, or purging. Studies show that low-weight wrestlers are at high risk for clinical eating disorders, with over half reporting binging behaviors and a significant percentage showing signs of disordered eating. These practices can have lasting effects on both physical and mental health.
Horse Jockeys: Riding the Line of Health
Horse jockeys are required to maintain extremely low body weights, often below what is healthy for their age and height. This pressure leads to rapid weight loss practices, mood changes, and a strained relationship with food, contributing to high rates of eating disorders and body image distortion. Even in other riding disciplines without strict weight limits, unrealistic body ideals and media portrayals can fuel harmful behaviors and beliefs.
Beyond These Sports
While dancers, wrestlers, and jockeys are among the highest risk, athletes in many other sports—such as gymnastics, figure skating, running, and even team sports—can struggle with similar issues. Any environment that emphasizes weight, shape, or appearance can increase vulnerability.
The Impact: More Than Just Physical
Eating disorders and disordered eating can have profound effects on an athlete’s mental health, leading to anxiety, depression, mood swings, social withdrawal, and even suicidal thoughts. Physically, inadequate nutrition can result in fatigue, slower reaction times, increased risk of injury, and long-term health complications like bone loss or heart issues. These struggles can ultimately undermine the very performance and longevity athletes are working so hard to achieve.
Why Early Intervention Matters
Early detection and intervention are crucial. Many athletes (and those around them) may minimize or rationalize unhealthy behaviors as “part of the sport” or even as beneficial for performance. But the reality is, these patterns can spiral quickly and have lasting consequences. Coaches, parents, and teammates play a vital role in recognizing red flags and supporting athletes in seeking help.
Education, supportive environments, and evidence-based treatment—including therapy, nutrition counseling, and involving the athlete’s support system—are key to recovery and prevention.
Breaking the Silence: Fostering Safer Sports Environments
Talking openly about eating disorders and body image in sports is the first step toward change. Challenging harmful norms, celebrating body diversity, and prioritizing athletes’ mental and physical health over appearance or weight can help protect current and future generations of athletes.
If you or someone you know is struggling, know that help is available—and recovery is possible. Athletes deserve to thrive in both sport and life, free from the hidden burdens of disordered eating and body image struggles.
Contact me for a free consultation to learn more about my services in Long Island, NYC and Florida.
Up Next: The Hidden Struggle in Sports
Athletes in high-pressure disciplines—such as dancers, wrestlers, and horse jockeys—often face unique challenges with eating disorders and body image. However, these issues affect athletes across a wide range of sports, from endurance runners to gymnasts and beyond. In my next post, we’ll explore how the relentless demands of competitive sports can lead to disordered eating behaviors, why athletes are at heightened risk for mental health struggles, and how societal pressures around “ideal” body types collide with performance expectations.
We’ll dive into specific examples from various sports, including:
Dancers balancing artistry and harmful body standards
Wrestlers risking health to “make weight”
Jockeys navigating extreme weight restrictions in horse racing
But we won’t stop there. We’ll also discuss broader trends and challenges that affect athletes in many different sports, highlighting the importance of early intervention to protect both physical health and athletic longevity. Learn how breaking the silence around these issues is critical for fostering safer sports environments. Stay tuned for actionable advice on supporting athletes in all disciplines.
Up Next: The Dark Side of Body-Building and Gym Culture
In our next blog post, we’ll take a closer look at body-building and gym culture—where the pursuit of the “perfect” physique can sometimes lead to disordered eating, unhealthy dieting, and body image struggles. We’ll explore how common practices in these environments, like extreme bulking and cutting, supplement misuse, and rigid food rules, can increase the risk for eating disorders and have serious physical consequences. Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast or just curious about the hidden risks behind the gym’s glossy exterior, you won’t want to miss this deep dive into the challenges and realities of modern body-building culture. Stay tuned!
*Disclaimer* - I am not a medical doctor and this post does not constitute as medical advice. This post is derived from my experience working with clients, research and collaborating with medical professionals.