Why “Just Eat More” Doesn’t Work for Eating Disorders in Athletes
Some of the most common (and harmful) advice athletes hear when struggling with an eating disorder insinuates that difficulty fueling your body is about a lack of willpower. These phrases may sound something like, “Just eat more.” Although there is usually good intentions, this phrase increases shame, fear and resistance. Eating disorders in athletes are not a lack of knowledge or willpower. They are a mental illness.
Why This Advice is So Common in Sports Culture
Teams often have the mindset of performance-first. This means that anything is done to improve performance. This leaves athletes feeling as though they need to control their intake in order to increase performance. Assumptions that athletes need to be “mentally tough”, leads to ignoring hunger cues. Coaches and teammates often confuse under-fueling as a choice, and are unfamiliar of the psychological impact that restriction has, once it is started.
Eating Disorders are Not About Willpower
Eating disorders are a bio-psychosocial condition. What this means is that they stem from genetics, our environment and culture, and who we surround ourselves with. There are so many factors that impact eating disorders. However, we now know that they are more common in athletes than non-athletes. Certain characteristics are often seen in those with eating disorders, including perfectionism, anxiety and those who are high-achieving. Eating disorders in athletes often start with good intentions and a strong desire to improve performance. Mix that motivation with perfectionism and you have the perfect storm to be a high achieving athlete with an eating disorder.
The Biology: Why the Body Doesn’t Respond Simply to “Eat More”
Athletes often already struggling with appetite suppression during high training loads. Tie in hormonal disruptions from restriction, and hunger and fullness cues often weaken or disappear. This can also lead to GI distress, earl satiety and nausea when trying to eat. This is the body’s way of trying to survive when it does not have enough energy to function properly. Add in someone telling you to eat more and the athlete is left with shame for not being able to do so.
The Psychology Athletes are Fighting Internally
Due to the many myths about body size and performance, athletes often fear weight gain or a loss of speed, strength or endurance. Controlling their food and body is really about trying to control their performance. And if they let that go (aka eat more), well they might completely lose control and motivation to improve. These fears are real because when you are an athlete, it can consume your identity and how you view yourself. Without the identity of an athlete, who are you?
How “Just Eat More” Can Backfire
When an athlete is told to eat more, and they are struggling to do so, they may feel shame, guilt or even out of control. Sometimes a binge-restrict cycle starts, as the body’s way of trying to get more energy. No matter what, anxiety always rises. Meals become even more difficult, reinforcing shame and self-blame.
What Actually Helps Athletes Eat More (and Recover)
Finding an eating disorder specialist that is sport specific, allows the athlete to feel heard and understood in their specific struggles. Not all eating disorder providers are familiar with sports. Finding a team that will collaborate with each other, including an eating disorder therapist, sports dietitian and medical provider.
Fueling When Hunger Cues Aren’t Reliable
In the beginning of recovery and often within athletics, appetite may not be a reliable source to let you know when you need to eat. Mechanical eating in these early stages is sometimes necessary, while your body adjusts. Learning to fuel as part of your training and not as a reward for working out is a different aspect than you may be used to.
Addressing the Fear, Not Just the Food
Cognitive and emotional work around weight and performance are necessary when working towards eating disorder recovery. Exposure-based approaches help conquer fear foods and fueling when hunger is not present. The last piece is learning to regulate your nervous system and tolerate distress and discomfort. Eating disorder or not, you are bound to get dysregulated in life. Turning towards healthy behaviors instead of disordered eating is a skill that takes practice.
Supporting an Athlete Without Saying “Just Eat More”
Neutralizing language around performance, food and bodies is the key. This means not labeling things as good or bad. Whether that is certain food, body sizes or athletic success. Approach the athlete with curiosity and empathy. Eating disorders are exhausting and emotional. Validate the discomfort without reinforcing the disorder and approach your athlete with curiosity-based questions. This will help build trust and help you understand how you can support them as they go through recovery. Avoid making comments around body changes.
When Professional Help is Needed
Early intervention protects athletic careers. The sooner an athlete can get professional help, the better. There are different types of support, including outpatient and higher levels of care. Outpatient is where the athlete will see an eating disorder therapist and dietitian about once a week and the support in higher levels of care increase from there. If you are not sure what level of care would be best, contact an eating disorder therapist and they can assess. Again, finding an eating disorder specialist that works with athletes will be the key to finding lasting recovery as an athlete. Recovery does not mean the end of a sport. Nourishment will increase the longevity and strength within the sport.
Finding an Eating Disorder Therapist in New Jersey
If you are looking for support for an athlete in New Jersey, Serendipity Counseling is here to help. They offer outpatient support for athletes in any stage of your recovery process. To get started, follow these steps:
Contact Serendipity Counseling to set up a free consultation.
See if we are a good fit for you.
Get your eating disorder recovery started!
If you are nervous to start 1:1 therapy, check out a few of our other resources. We offer a support group for those looking to improve their relationship with their sport, featured eating disorder recovery podcasts, and blogs of eating disorder recovery as an athlete.
About the Author: An Eating Disorder Therapist in New Jersey
Kate is an eating disorder specialist that works with athletes in any stage of recovery. From her educational experience as a therapist, 15+ years of experience in eating disorders, and her own eating disorder recovery journey, she comes with an extensive amount of knowledge and insight. Kate is here to guide you, learn about you, and help you be the healthiest version of yourself!
