Mind, Body, Plate: Investigating Disordered Eating in the Active Population

Optimal physical activity and nutrition have many known health benefits, not just physical ones but also psychological and social ones. Social perceptions of ideal body appearance, diet, and lifestyle, as well as public health messaging regarding the prevention of obesity, are possibly inadvertently causing an increase in disordered eating behaviours and cognitions. A spectrum of eating behaviours that span from adjusted nutrition through disordered eating to clinically diagnosed eating disorders are increasingly noted among recreative and professional athletes, regardless of gender. Athletes are additionally exposed to a complex interaction between societal expectations, social comparisons, sports performance demands, and pressures that contribute to the development of disordered eating. Once developed, disordered eating and eating disorders significantly impact physical and mental health, psychosocial capacities, and quality of life.

To lessen the rising prevalence of eating disorders among the physically active population, and to improve our understanding of how to predict, prevent, and treat eating disorders in this specific population, the scientific society requires accurate data on prevalence rates. In addition, it is necessary to develop and validate measurement tools that are specifically designed for both male and female recreational and professional athletes from various sports. These tools need to cover the assessment of eating behaviours and dietary intake, the psychological background of eating disorder symptoms as well as risk factors that contribute to the development of different eating disorders within various sports populations.

To the present, not many studies investigated those topics.

In this Research Topic, we welcome papers dealing with the issue of all varieties of eating disorders in male and female, young and adult, recreational and elite athletes, with details in:

(1) Prevalence data;
(2) Nutrition and dietary habits;
(3) Validation of new measurement instruments;
(4) Suggested sport- and gender-specific risk factors;
(5) Importance of early detection, treatment, and prevention of eating disorders.

Researchers can submit manuscripts as original research, narrative reviews, and systematic reviews with or without meta-analysis, commentaries, or letters. Based on our proposal, we firmly believe that this research topic will significantly contribute to understanding eating disorders in specific populations, enrich existing knowledge, provide stimuli to improve interventions in athletes and coaches and identify sport- and gender-specific risk factors and prevention programs for eating disorders among physically active people.