The Weight of Success in British Sport

Eating disorders and disordered eating within sports has increasingly become the focus of growing attention for over a decade, with a series of top level athletes disclosing their ordeal  witht the disorder(e.g., David Coulthard; Paul Gascogine) and with the highly published deaths of American high school wrestlers and elite gymnasts.

What was once recognised as a problem for  adolescent females, is now considered as a significant concern in sport, especially for female athletes and those that participate in aesthetic (gymnastics, skating) and weight related sports (boxing, wrestling).  However, within the UK, there is limited research available on the actual size of the disorder and the factors that influence its onset and maintenance, as much of the research has been conducted abroad (e.g., US and Norway). 

In an attempt to overcome this shortage, the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences and Centre for Research into Eating Disorders at Loughborough University are conducting a national wide project that first examines the prevalence of eating disorders amongst British athletes and the interpersonal (e.g., coach athlete relationship dynamics) and intrapersonal (e.g., perfectionism, self esteem) factors that facilitates the onset and maintenance of the disorder.

We are trying to recruit 1800 athletes that participate in sport at either the elite, developmental or the recreational level.  If you would like to assist in this study or would like to know more about the study, please contact me either on here or via V.shanmugam@lboro.ac.uk.   With your support, this study will forge a pioneering break through in knowledge and expects to contribute to theory and research, but also to practice, by helping coaches, parents, athletes, team mates and sport scientists (e.g., psychologists, nutritionists) become aware of the factors that facilitate and inhibits the development of eating disorders and the impact that onset of eating disorders can have on an athlete's well being. 

Vaithehy