Coaches and Athletes

Research suggests that athletes have a higher incidence of eating disorders than the general population. By DSM-IV-TR criteria, approximately 1 % of the general population suffers from anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa Depending on sport, incidence in athletes is much higher – near 30 % incidence of disordered eating in endurance sports, 20 % for ball game sports, and 17 % for technical sports. High school and college athletes are most likely to be affected with 90 % of new eating disorder diagnoses occurring in individuals under 25 years of age. Most new diagnoses occur in the middle high school years. Currently, coaches and athletes are peripherally aware of disordered eating but do not routinely receive education on sub-clinical eating disorders such as anorexia athletica. Coaches and athletes in VT public schools have pre-season requirements that currently include completing education on topics like concussions an