Eating disorders (EDs) are characterized by an overconcern about body weight and shape. Men who practice team sports have been systematically excluded from the high-risk eating disorders groups. This exclusion could be challenged based on misinformation about the prevalence of actual eating disorders within these athletes, with the previous evidence showing significant body image concerns among them and the under-diagnosis risk in populations of men.
To assess eating disorders risk in Spanish adult men who practice team sports.
An observational study was conducted with 276 athlete men aged between 18 and 55 years: 60.5% were team sports players and 39.5% were athletes of aesthetic, endurance, and weight-category sports. Data were collected
About 20.36% of team sports players presented a clinical profile compatible with an ED diagnosis. There were no significant differences comparing EDs potential cases between team sports players and athletes playing sports categorized as high EDs risk. There were significant differences when analyzing the existence of EDs between the different groups of age, family pressure, and coach pressure. The
Men who practice team sports may also be a high-risk group for the development of EDs. Being younger than 21 years, having a BMI larger than 25 kg/m2, and perceiving high-level pressure from the coach and/or family would be risk factors for EDs in men who practice team sports.