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Mike Popovsky's daily menu goes something like this: three ounces of oatmeal, a protein bar, a few morsels of chicken, a piece of fruit and maybe a small serving of spaghetti for dinner. Mike is a wrestler. And, like many of his fellow athletes, he uses dieting to make good on the mat. Other athletes, like football players, binge eat to bulk up and succeed at their sport. According to a 1993 survey of more than 11,000 high school students, about 15 percent of male high school students were trying to lose weight. Why? Let's look at wrestling. It's a sport that focuses on the "fat to muscle ratio." When you have more muscle than fat, you're less likely to get injured. Pinning your opponent becomes easier. You feel more capable and confident. If you can make a lower weight class and keep the muscle you have, the matches become easier. You win more. Being rail thin is also seen as an advantage in many other sports, including gymnastics, swimming, diving, crew and figure skating. So, it's no surprise that some athletes feel more pressure to change their bodies to try to win. "I knew a sophomore last year who just couldn't make his weight," says Mike. "The day before a match he'd try to sweat the weight off. He wouldn't eat. He looked like crap -- and he played like crap. The coach never said he had to drop 10 pounds in a week. He just assumed he had to." Eventually, Mike's friend was able to get help. "When our coach found out that the kid wasn't eating, he helped him get back to his prior weight. Coaches don't want their athletes to be unhealthy." Pressure To Win
Not all male athletes are as lucky. Holly Hoff, program director for Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention Inc., located in Seattle, says that some males "feel isolated, ashamed, or embarrassed to admit that they have an eating disorder. They ignore the symptoms of the eating disorder because they think it's a girl's problem." Instead of severe dieting or binging, the best approach, experts say, is to eat a balanced diet. Avoid too many fatty foods. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Stay on a healthy exercise plan. Basically, avoid extremes -- either real severe dieting or binge eating. That's when you can get in trouble. And, believe it or not, most coaches and parents would rather have you healthy than always in the ribbons. Plus, they're realizing now that athletes who eat unhealthy, in the long run, can't keep winning. "My friend's dad," says Mike, "used to go into a sauna with a rubber suit back in the 70's. Coaches now are a lot more sensible about where you are and getting yourself to where you want to be. There's no point in killing yourself." Exactly.
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For more information or to find help with an eating disorder, go to the Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention Inc. website at www.edap.org or call (800) 931-2237. Or visit the Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center's website www.edrefferal.com for more than 50 links to eating disorder clinics and hotlines throughout the country.
| Do I Have An Eating Disorder? Here are some common symptoms of eating disorders, for both guys and girls. � Gaining or losing a lot of weight.
� Developing abnormal eating habits, like severe dieting, eating strange foods, withdrawn or ritualized behavior at mealtime, or secretive bingeing.
� An intense preoccupation with weight and body image.
� Compulsive or excessive exercising.
� Self-induced vomiting, periods of fasting, or laxative, diet pill, or diuretic abuse.
� Feelings of isolation, depression, or irritability
Source: Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention, Inc. | | | | |
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