Eating disorders and disturbed body image perceptions are becoming a growing problem in athletes. Similar to non-athletes, both female and male athletes have shown an upward trend in the development of eating disorders. The purpose of this research paper is to compile previous research on possible reasons why athletes develop eating disorders. Gender differences, outside influence, specific sports and certain personality characteristics are investigated more in depth to see the affects they have on athletes’ tendencies in developing eating disorders and negative body image.

Eating disorders and disordered eating attitudes and behaviors are characterized by an over-evaluation of weight and shape, under or over-controlled eating, as well as engagement in compensatory behaviors. The disorders are associated with psychological suffering, acute and long-term health impairments, a high rate of suicide attempts as well as an increased risk of mortality. Knowledge regarding the etiology of eating disorders is limited and based on current models it is not possible to adequately predict either who will get an eating disorder or who will recover. This lack of understanding has hindered the development of effective prevention and treatment interventions. The aim of the present thesis was to contribute towards an increased understanding of eating disorders and disordered eating attitudes and behavior through the collection of norms and psychometric data, investigation of risk factors and their roles, and focusing on the understudied group of males with eating disorders. Five studies were included. Specifically, Study I focused on collecting general population and clinical norms on the well-established Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and the Clinical Impairment Assessment Questionnaire (CIA). Study II both collected general population norms on, and investigated psychometric properties of, the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ-8C), an instrument intended to assess body dissatisfaction. Study III focused on the role of perfectionism (an established risk factor for eating disorders) as a possible mediator or moderator between body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behavior and attitudes. Finally, in Study IV and V attention was placed on males. In Study IV the specific aim was to compare the clinical characteristics between young males and females with eating disorders while in study V the specific aim was to explore variables associated with disordered eating among young males based on a compilation of factors known to play a role among females as well as factors thought to be uniquely associated with males, such as sexual orientation and drive for muscularity. A greater understanding of eating disorders will help reduce the stigma that is associated with eating disorders, easing the way for affected individuals to seek help and ultimately improve the development of effective prevention and intervention.

SAMMANFATTNING Bakgrund: Vid behandling av ätstörningar hos barn och ungdomar konstateras att föräldrars delaktighet har en betydande roll. Sjuksköterskan kan möta föräldrar till barn och ungdomar med ätstörning inom olika vårdinstanser och vårdformer och för att kunna ge stöd och god omvårdnad med familjen i fokus, är det av intresse att belysa upplevelser och erfarenheter hos föräldrar, av att leva med och/eller vårda barn/ungdom med ätstörning. Syfte: Att beskriva föräldrars upplevelser och erfarenheter av att leva med och/eller vårda barn/ungdom, med diagnostiserad ätstörning. Metod: En litteraturstudie genomfördes utifrån nio artiklar av kvalitativ ansats. Artiklarnas resultat analyserades och sammanfördes. Resultat: Föräldrar upplevde social isolering, förändringar i vardagslivet samt svårigheter att förhålla sig till ätstörningen. För många var den känslomässiga bördan tung och känslor som oro, frustration och maktlöshet var vanliga. Vidare blev ekonomi och egen hälsa lidande till följd av sjukdomen. Föräldrar upplevde det positivt att dela sina upplevelser med andra i liknande situation och att få kunskap och information kring sjukdomen ansågs värdefullt. Slutsats: Att vara förälder till ett barn eller ungdom med ätstörning innebär en tung känslomässig börda och har stor inverkan på det dagliga livet. Föräldrars kunskap om sjukdomen bör stärkas, medan stöd och omvårdnad med fokus mot dessa föräldrar bör ges. / ABSTRACT Background: While treating eating disorders in children and adolescents, parental involvement has a significant role. Nurses are likely to meet the parents of children and adolescents with eating disorders in different health facilities and to be able to provide support and family focused care, it is of interest to highlight the experiences of parents living with and caring for children/adolescents with eating disorders. Aim: To describe parents' experiences of living with, and/or caring for a child/adolescent, diagnosed with an eating disorder. Method: The study was carried out as a literature study, where a total of nine qualitative studies were included. Results: The results came to show that many parents had difficulties relating to the eating disorder. Furthermore, feelings such as anxiety, frustration and powerlessness were common among parents. Many experienced great emotional burden, changes in everyday life and social isolation. Moreover, as an effect of the disease, many parents also experienced a negative impact on their personal health as well as on their private economy. However, parents felt positively about sharing experiences with others in similar situations and that obtaining knowledge and information about eating disorders was of great importance. Conclusion: Being a parent to a child or adolescent with eating disorders involves great emotional burden and has great impact in everyday life. Parents should be taken care of and given support in this matter, and one should also strengthen their knowledge about the disease in question.

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of abnormal eating behaviors and weight control techniques in female collegiate varsity athletes at Ball State University. A modified version of the The Michigan State University (MSU) Weight Control Survey was the instrument which was used to survey the athletes. Data were collected from 79 athletes, who represented six sports (field hockey, gymnastics, softball, tennis, track & field, and volleyball). The mean age of subjects was 20.0 years. Multivariate tests of significance were conducted to see whether or not there were any statistical differences among athletes according to their sport participation. Height was the only variable that revealed statistical significance (p=.002). Body Mass Index (BMI) showed that 63 (80.7%) athletes fell into the desirable range of 19-24 for person's aged 19 through 24 years. A total of 49 (63.0%) athletes reported that they had attempted to lose weight during the preceding year. Approximately 80% of respondents believed diet pills, vomiting, laxatives, diuretic pills, fasting and drinking less fluids to be dangerous weight loss methods. Eating fewer snacks, exercising more, and counting fat grams were the most common methods of weight control that had been tried. Thirteen athletes reported that they had used at least one (fasting, vomiting, laxatives, diet pills, syrup of ipecac, and/or drinking less fluids) harmful method to control body weight. / Department of Physiology and Health Science

Themes emerging from women who scored high on the Body Esteem Scale will be different from the women who scored low on the Body Esteem Scale. One hundred and nine faculty and staff women of Ball State University completed the Eating Attitudes Test and the Body Esteem Scale to answer the first hypothesis and established a low, medium and high body esteem groups, (BES) in order to answer the second hypothesis. Twenty-eight volunteers, (of the 109) were individually interviewed.A significant difference was found at the .05 level in the subject's present weight, between groups one and two and between groups one and three thus supporting the first hypothesis. Interviews revealed a greater number of negative responses were recorded in the lower BES group and a greater number of positive responses were recorded in the higher BES group thus supporting the second hypothesis. Further study is recommended. / Fisher Institute for Wellness

This study utilized both qualitative and quantitative procedures to examine the relationship between religiosity and eating disorders among a sample of nineteen eating disordered individuals who sought treatment at one of two college counseling centers, or at a hospital unit which specializes in treating eating disorders. Following theoretical works that point to asceticism as the link between religion and eating disorders, it was hypothesized that subject scores on the Shepherd Scale, a measure of religiosity from a Christian perspective, would positively correlate with scores on the Eating Disorder Inventory, a measure of eating disorder symptomatology, which includes a subscale that assesses asceticism. Analysis of subject scores shows no statistically significant correlation between religiosity and asceticism, though statistically significant negative correlations were found between religiosity and other Eating Disorder Inventory subscales. A marked difference in asceticism scores was found between subjects treated at the college counseling centers and those treated at the hospital unit. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

Thesis (M.A. (Voorligtingpsigologie)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Looking at humankind and all the weight issues/problems, researchers ask one question: "Why do some people have problems with compulsive eating?" Throughout the years many studies has been done about Bulimia and Anorexia as eating behaviours, but not a lot of studies have been done about the theological area concerning research on compulsive eating disorders. From a Biblical and Christian-theological perspective, we find that God created the human as a being who is good and pure but as a result of disobedience, we are all sinners. Through sin, humankind is polluted; therefore humankind struggles to be in control of its own nature in itself. Because of sin, the whole trinity and harmony between God and His creation was disturbed. With a plan and a solution, God sent His only beloved Son, Jesus Christ to earth so that He could die for our sins on the cross. Jesus Christ, our Mediator, return to help us restore the balance between food and humankind. Looking at other social science research, we can see that eating disorders have been looked at and discussed in the medical world for at least the last century. An empirical research has been done with persons who believe that they are compulsive eaters. Through research, they discovered that the participants either had a very unpleasant childhood or during adulthood had had very difficult or unhappy relationships. It is because of these reasons that the researcher tried to establish that pastoral counseling could possibly help with healing. It can be a long and hard road to recovery because compulsive eating disorders can also be related to addiction. Research has shown that each person has to work on his/her relationships with him, God our Father, humankind and nature. The counselee has to acknowledge that he has a problem and there must be a deep desire to get healed systematically the counselee gets help/counseling through proposals as well as through deliberation. The counselee has to have a will to get healed as well as have the dedication to get rid of the addiction or habit through the help and strength of our beloved Father. / Thesis (M.A. (Pastoral)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Thesis (M.A. (Voorligtingpsigologie)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Looking at humankind and all the weight issues/problems, researchers ask one question: "Why do some people have problems with compulsive eating?" Throughout the years many studies has been done about Bulimia and Anorexia as eating behaviours, but not a lot of studies have been done about the theological area concerning research on compulsive eating disorders. From a Biblical and Christian-theological perspective, we find that God created the human as a being who is good and pure but as a result of disobedience, we are all sinners. Through sin, humankind is polluted; therefore humankind struggles to be in control of its own nature in itself. Because of sin, the whole trinity and harmony between God and His creation was disturbed. With a plan and a solution, God sent His only beloved Son, Jesus Christ to earth so that He could die for our sins on the cross. Jesus Christ, our Mediator, return to help us restore the balance between food and humankind. Looking at other social science research, we can see that eating disorders have been looked at and discussed in the medical world for at least the last century. An empirical research has been done with persons who believe that they are compulsive eaters. Through research, they discovered that the participants either had a very unpleasant childhood or during adulthood had had very difficult or unhappy relationships. It is because of these reasons that the researcher tried to establish that pastoral counseling could possibly help with healing. It can be a long and hard road to recovery because compulsive eating disorders can also be related to addiction. Research has shown that each person has to work on his/her relationships with him, God our Father, humankind and nature. The counselee has to acknowledge that he has a problem and there must be a deep desire to get healed systematically the counselee gets help/counseling through proposals as well as through deliberation. The counselee has to have a will to get healed as well as have the dedication to get rid of the addiction or habit through the help and strength of our beloved Father. / Thesis (M.A. (Pastoral)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.