Discussing eating disorders amongst NCAA student-athletes

Abstract

Eating disorders or disordered eating amongst National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) student-athletes is a cause for concern for universities, coaches, athletic trainers and most importantly the young men and women who are suffering from the pressures of being a student-athlete. As a result, many of these student-athletes have to seek guidance and counseling at an early time in their collegiate career. The purpose of this conceptual paper is to indicate the warning signs and symptoms of disordered eating assist in understanding the classification of such symptoms and to discuss the preventative measures to be taken to reduce the risk of eating disorders. Strategies for improving and assessing the current well0being of students-athletes and the different types of disordered eating are discussed.