|
You might be surprised to learn that 33% of male and 62% of female high school athletes struggle with eating disorders [National Eating Disorder Association, 2021]. These alarming statistics should raise sport parents’ awareness of this challenge. Last year, Play Like a Champion detailed the signs, symptoms and risk factors of these disorders; today, we invite parents to learn from a real and very personal story of an athlete who struggled with an eating disorder. Rachel Steil, speaker and author of Running in Silence, spoke to our Play Like a Champion partners earlier this year. Her poignant story in the video above will help you to stand in the shoes of an athlete striving for excellence and learn how that led to body dysmorphia and a severe eating disorder.
This conversation will continue at our 2023 Sports Leadership Conference in June, as we continue to educate our Play Like a Champion community on this critical subject. Jenny Conviser, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern University will present two sessions on the topic. She will share detailed information on risk factors for eating disorders and ways the sport culture can unwittingly inflame this issue for athletes. Most importantly, Dr. Conviser will share research-based techniques for reducing the pressure and expectations that might lead athletes to acquire this mental health condition, as well as ways coaches and parents can identify and help heal athletes struggling with eating disorders.
| 
