Weight Loss

& Eating Disorder

Key to Successful Weight Loss
Pathogenic Weight-Loss Practices
Behavior Consequences

Severe Fasting Loss of lean body mass &

decreased metabolic rate

Diet pills Medical side effects & weight

regained when discontinued

Fat free diets Deficient in macro &

micronutrients; difficult to
maintain
Diuretics Dehydration & electrolytes
imbalance; no fat loss
Pathogenic Weight-Loss Practices
Behavior Consequences

Laxatives Dehydration; no fat loss; maybe

addicting

Sweating Dehydration; heat injury; no fat

loss

Excessive exercise Risk of injury & overtraining

Enemas Dehydration & GI problems

Pathogenic Weight-Loss Practices
Behavior Consequences

Fluid restriction Dehydration; heat injury

Self induced Dehydration; acid base &

vomiting electrolytes imbalance;
esophageal
tear & GI bleeding
Negatives Consequences for
Competitive Athletes
 Making Weight
› Wrestler, weight lifters, boxers, jockey etc. often
resort to pathogenic weight loss practices
 Female Athletes Triad
› Female athletes who compete in endurance sport,
sports judge by build & sports with weight
classifications are at the greatest risk
 Disordered Eating
 Amenorrhea – abnormal menstrual cycle
 Premature Osteoporosis
Eating Disorders
 Anorexia Nervosa
 Bulimia Nervosa
 Binge Eating
Diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa
 Criteria
› Refusal to maintain normal weight for age and height
› Intense fear of gaining weight or fat
› Disturbance in body image
› Post-menarche, amenorrhea (absence of three
consecutive menstrual cycles)
Diagnosis of AN
 85% of normal weight for age
 or BMI 17.5 kgm-2
Diagnosis Bulimia Nervosa
 Recurrent episodes of binge eating
› Eating in a discrete period of time a subjectively large
volume of food
› Lack of control over eating
 Recurrent purging: Vomiting, laxatives, diuretics,
enemas, fasting or exercise
Diagnosis Bulimia Nervosa
 Self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body
weight and shape
 The disturbance does not occur exclusively
during episodes of anorexia nervosa
Binge Eating
 Signs and symptoms
› People with binge-eating disorder regularly eat
excessive amounts of food (binge).
› A binge is considered eating a larger amount of food
than most people would eat under similar situations.
› People who binge may eat when they're not really
hungry and continue eating even long after they're
uncomfortably full.
Eating Disorders in Athletes
 Possible Precipitating Factors
› Appearance Sports (Gymnastics, Diving)
› Low Body Weight Advantage (Running)
› Weight Category Sports (Rowing)
Negatives Consequences for
Competitive Athletes
 Breaking The Triad
› De-emphasize
body weight
› Eliminate group
weight-ins.
› Treat each athlete
individually
› Facilitate healthy
weight management