The Athletic Body: Eating Disorders in Canadian Sport History

Eating disorders in Canadian sport are and have been an ongoing issue for some time. In recent years, more research and education programs directed at athletes and their peers have been implemented. However, the topic has never been subjected to thorough historical analysis, specifically in Canadian history. The purpose of this research was to gain a complete understanding of sport-related eating disorder development in Canada. To construct a social history analysis of eating disorders in Canadian sport, the exploration of Canadian policy statements, archived media sources, general history of eating disorders, and autobiographical accounts by Canadian athletes was conducted. The results showed that eating disorders were not a new condition in Canadian sport and there was an extreme lack of understanding on the topic. The causation of eating disorders and the way they were addressed in the media was relatively stigmatized in the past, halting any advancement in understanding, and consequently historical research on the topic. The results suggest that the accessibility and conduction of further research must increase on this topic in Canada, as very few Canadian history-based resources are available to the public. With a greater understanding of the development throughout time, Canadian sport policymakers and the general public will be able to utilize the experiences of past athletes to make current intervention programs more relatable for Canadians involved in sport today