A Qualitative Exploration of Sport and Social Pressures on Elite Athletes in Relation to Disordered Eating

Stoyel, Hannah; Delderfield, Russell; Shanmuganathan-Felton, Vaithehy; Stoyel, Alex; Serpell, Lucy

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.633490

Cited by 22 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…As such, nonlean sport athletes, may be more inclined to imitate the behaviors of their teammates in order to reduce the discrepancy. In line with this, the finding that teammate modeling was salient for male athletes confirms recent qualitative findings highlighting that male athletes reportedly “measure up” their opponents/role models which extend to the imitation of their training and dietary behaviors, often exacerbated by social media (Stoyel et al, 2021, p. 5).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

A prospective study of teammate factors on athletes’ well-being, disordered eating, and compulsive exercise.

Scott¹,

Haycraft²,

Plateau³

2022

Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology

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Cross-sectional research has demonstrated the strong influence teammates have on athletes’ eating attitudes/behaviors, but less is known about the enduring nature of such influence or the stability of eating and exercise psychopathology over time. This study aimed to (a) examine whether eating and exercise psychopathology and psychological well-being (anxiety, depression, self-esteem) in athletes remain stable over time, (b) examine which teammate factors predict athletes’ eating and exercise attitudes/behaviors longitudinally, and (c) explore whether such predictive relationships differed as a function of gender/sport type/age group. Athletes (N = 311, mean age 18.74 years, n = 171 female, n = 134 lean sport athletes) completed a survey at the beginning (T1) and middle (T2; 4 months later) of their athletic season exploring teammate factors, psychological well-being, and eating/exercise psychopathology. Wilcoxon T-Tests assessed stability in variables over time (Aim 1), structural equation modeling tested the cross-lagged relationships among variables (Aim 2), and tests of invariance explored group differences (Aim 3). Levels of eating psychopathology significantly decreased from T1–T2 while levels of anxiety significantly increased. Notably, the cross-lagged model found higher levels of self-esteem at T1 predicted lower T2 bulimia modeling, and higher levels of bulimia modeling at T1 predicted higher T2 disordered eating. Males, those participating in nonlean sports and adolescent athletes are at increased risk of modeling disordered eating. Given the importance of understanding factors that can increase/reduce athletes’ susceptibility to teammate influence, as well as the negative impact of teammate influence, these findings will inform the targeted development of team-based eating and exercise psychopathology prevention strategies.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

A prospective study of teammate factors on athletes’ well-being, disordered eating, and compulsive exercise.

Scott¹,

Haycraft²,

Plateau³

2022

Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology

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“…While athletes may have intrinsic characteristics (e.g., perfectionism, high pain tolerance and motivation) valued by competitive sport, these qualities may also contribute to the development of disordered eating [ 9 ]. Furthermore, external pressures from coaches, peers, parents and social media also influence behaviour [ 10 ]. For example, previous findings suggest that careless comments from coaches referencing weight or appearance can precipitate the onset of, or perpetuate, disordered eating or eating disorders in athletes [ 11 ].…”

Section: The Changing Focus Of Youth Athlete Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Youth Athlete Development and Nutrition

Desbrow

2021

Sports Med

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Adolescence (ages 13–18 years) is a period of significant growth and physical development that includes changes in body composition, metabolic and hormonal fluctuations, maturation of organ systems, and establishment of nutrient deposits, which all may affect future health. In terms of nutrition, adolescence is also an important time in establishing an individual’s lifelong relationship with food, which is particularly important in terms of the connection between diet, exercise, and body image. The challenges of time management (e.g., school, training, work and social commitments) and periods of fluctuating emotions are also features of this period. In addition, an adolescent’s peers become increasingly powerful moderators of all behaviours, including eating. Adolescence is also a period of natural experimentation and this can extend to food choice. Adolescent experiences are not the same and individuals vary considerably in their behaviours. To ensure an adolescent athlete fulfils his/her potential, it is important that stakeholders involved in managing youth athletes emphasize eating patterns that align with and support sound physical, physiological and psychosocial development and are consistent with proven principles of sport nutrition.

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“…The runners noted a complex and competitive perspective from two different contexts: they wanted to fit society’s role of being ‘skinny’ but still look healthy and perform well within their sport. The nine athletes participating in a qualitative study about social pressure in elite sports and EDs by Stoyel et al 40 noted this duality of the ideal athlete body.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Behind the athletic body: a clinical interview study of identification of eating disorder symptoms and diagnoses in elite athletes

Lichtenstein

Johansen

Runge

et al. 2022

BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med

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Eating disorders are more prevalent in athletes than in the general population and may have severe consequences for sports performance and health. Identifying symptoms can be difficult in athletes because restrictive eating and slim body images are often idealised in a sports setting. The Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and the SCOFF (Sick, Control, One stone, Fat and Food) questionnaire (SCOFF) are widely used generic instruments to identify symptoms of eating disorders. This study aimed to investigate the instruments’ validity and explore eating disorder symptoms in a sample of athletes.A sample of 28 athletes (25 females) competing at a national level was interviewed based on the diagnostic criteria for eating disorders. We interviewed 18 athletes with a high score on EDE-Q and 10 with a low score. All interviews were transcribed and analysed from a general inductive approach. We identified 20 athletes with an eating disorder diagnosis, while 8 had no diagnosis. EDE-Q found 90% of the cases, while SCOFF found 94%. EDE-Q found no false-positive cases, while SCOFF found one.The qualitative results showed that most athletes reported eating concerns, restrictive eating, eating control (counting calories), weight concerns, body dissatisfaction (feeling fat and non-athletic), excessive exercise and health problems (eg, pain, fatigue).In conclusion, EDE-Q and SCOFF seem valid instruments to screen athletes’ samples but may fail to find 6%–10% cases with eating disorders. Despite athletic bodies and normal body mass index, many athletes report severe eating problems and dissatisfaction with weight and body appearance. Implementation of regular screening may identify these symptoms at an early stage.

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A Qualitative Exploration of Sport and Social Pressures on Elite Athletes in Relation to Disordered Eating

Cited by 22 publications

References 72 publications

A prospective study of teammate factors on athletes’ well-being, disordered eating, and compulsive exercise.

A prospective study of teammate factors on athletes’ well-being, disordered eating, and compulsive exercise.

Youth Athlete Development and Nutrition

Behind the athletic body: a clinical interview study of identification of eating disorder symptoms and diagnoses in elite athletes

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