We all know concepts like anorexia or bulimia related to eating disorders. Now, little is known about Binge Eating or binge eating disorder in athletes , also very harmful for those who suffer from it. If you are one of those who do not know what this disorder consists of, throughout this article we will show you all the keys.
What is binge eating or binge eating disorder in athletes?
Binge eating disorder is characterized by recurrent binge eating episodes. It has many similarities to bulimia nervosa. The main difference is that the person with binge eating disorder does not engage in compensatory behaviors . Compensatory behaviors include self-induced vomiting, laxative abuse, or fasting. It is also common for the person with this disorder to have depressive symptoms.
Although there is a lack of studies that delve into the incidence of this problem among athletes, some risk sport groups have been analyzed. Experts warn that the cult of the body has exacerbated this type of pathology , which is becoming more and more precocious.
extreme sports
Not all athletes have the same risk of suffering from this type of disorder. There are many sports in which a specific thinness or weight is required . For this reason, athletes who belong to these groups are more likely to suffer from it.
Weight categories
Among the risk sports that experts point out are those that establish a category by weight . For example, boxing, weightlifting or taekwondo. In them, “purging behaviors” have been observed to lose weight and enter lower categories.
Sports in which underweight is common
Likewise, those athletes who are aware that losing weight can benefit them with respect to competition performance are more affected by this type of disorder. These sports include horse riding, gymnastics or rowing.
Sports influenced by aesthetics
Also, sports that are influenced by aesthetics , such as figure skating or rhythmic gymnastics, offer more risk when it comes to binge eating or binge eating disorder .
Endurance competitions
Finally, elite athletes in endurance competitions , such as an ultramarathon, have also been tempted to lose weight and body fat percentage in a brutal way to improve long distance times .
Diagnosing a binge
Feeling very hungry at a certain time and eating a lot is not the same as binge eating. Here are the characteristics of the latter.
Characteristics of a binge
First, it is characterized by the intake of food in a short period of time (for example, in a period of 2 hours). The amount should be much higher than what most people would ingest in a similar period of time and under the same circumstances.
Likewise, the feeling of loss of control over food intake stands out. That is, the person who suffers from it has the feeling of not being able to stop eating or not being able to control the type or amount of food they are eating.
On the other hand, binges take place at least once a week for a period of 3 months. In addition, once the binge has occurred there are no compensatory behaviors.
Reasons that trigger binge eating or binge eating disorder
Grief, irritability, or loneliness are feelings that trigger a binge. Feeling fat , very common in those people who must take care of their figure, is another reason.
Likewise, the diet and hunger of those athletes who are required to maintain a certain weight are other reasons why they binge. Likewise, breaking the imposed diet and feeling guilty causes many athletes to suffer from this disorder.
