Eating Disorders in Gymnasts Essay - 1995 Words

Eating Disorders in Gymnasts At a gymnastics meet in Budapest, a U.S. judge commented that gymnast Christy Henrich would have to lose weight if she wanted to make the Olympic team. On July 26, 1994, Christy Henrich died of multiple organ failure. She had lost a long battle with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that involves extreme weight loss, restricted food intake, and an intense fear of becoming fat. The American Psychiatric Association outlines four diagnostic criteria for anorexia. The first is refusal to maintain body weight. The second is intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight. The third is denial of the seriousness of low body weight. The†¦show more content†¦They also resolve to diet rigorously to compensate for the weight gained during the binge. Bulimia has many symptoms. Bulimics have a preoccupation with food and are usually secretive about their addiction to food. A bulimic’s self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body shape and weight. Bulimics suffer from internal bleeding, including gastric ulcers due to trauma from forceful vomiting. Bulimics have tooth and gum decay caused by stomach acids. They also have swollen salivary glands, and broken blood vessels in their eyes, as a result of self-induced vomiting. Bulimics are typically high achievers. Bulimia and anorexia have found their way into the sport of elite, or Olympic-level gymnastics. In a 1992 University of Washington study of 182 female college athletes, 62% of college gymnasts have practiced at least one form of disordered eating. This percentage was higher than that of any other sport. Many elite gymnasts have come forward to admit that they suffer from eating disorders. These gymnasts include: 1970 world medallist, Cathy Rigby, 1972 Olympian Nancy Marshall, 1984 Olympic medallist Kathy Johnson, 1989 junior national champion Erica Stokes and Christy Henrich. Cathy Rigby suffered from a twelve-year bout with bulimia nervosa. She went into cardiac arrest on two occasions as a result of it. She feels very strongly about the lack of education about eating disorders inShow MoreRelatedEating Disorders: Anorexia and Bulimia1614 Words   |  6 Pagesdeadly eating disorders that can cause severe physical and mental health problems. Anorexia is an eating disorder of self- imposed starvation and a mental illness. In fact, anorexia has one of the highest death rates of any mental illness(Gerri FreidKramer, page 15). Bulimia is a mental eating disorder characterized by overeating followed by purging(Gerri Freid Kramer, page 21). People with bulimia are known for self induced vomiting, and using laxatives or diuretics. 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