Discipline, focus and determination are required to excel in the sport of fitness, figure and bodybuilding. Many individuals would wince at the thought of something that requires such 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week focus. Not the physique competitor. They thrive on the sense of control and security that comes from living such a disciplined and planned lifestyle. This all fine when combined with a healthy perspective that challenges the rigid side so that life is experienced in a balanced and healthy way.
The problem arises when this rigidity and need for control is taken too far. Combine this with the natural tendencies for competitors to become fixated on body appearance, body composition then it is not all to surprising that the risks of developing an eating disorder is substantially higher.
I have had my own struggles with an eating disorder that was especially bad in my early teen years. I moved into recovery but have always been extremely aware of my behavior to catch any signs that things may be going to far. I began studying eating disorders a lot more in depth a few years ago when I really started to notice how many competitors had badly distorted body images and would put all their worth in how their body looks. I also noticed that many competitors have a variety of eating disorder symptoms such as guilt and anxiety around food and exercise, body obsession, restrictive eating or binge eating behavior and much more. These behaviors are present in men and women. In men it is more common to see a fixation towards not having enough muscle or feeling small. In fact, the number of competitors that have disclosed a history of eating disorder is astounding to me. It is no coincidence that they are attracted to competing. Some have had to leave the sport as it was just too risky for them. I have worked with many others to help them return to a healthier perspective. As part of my consulting business, I have incorporated eating disorder education when I work with competitors. There was a strong need to increase awareness and to provide tools to help them keep the balance in a healthy direction.
One of the attractions of competing is the admiration; attention and respect a competitor will receive for looking the way they do. This is also the very attraction that will feed into an eating disorder. If you combine that with competitive pressure to maintain a certain look for shows and appearances then the risk can be even greater for those individuals. It can be a double edged sword. Many of these individuals should be working on the inside so that self worth and a true desire to compete can come from a healthy place. Self worth based on appearance is unstable and fleeting and will never lead to happiness unless the deeper issues are dealt with.
