Anorexia Athletica is a term that has been used by Sundgot-Borgen (1993) in Norway to describe symptoms found in female athletes that were similar to those of anorexia nervosa. Symptoms included weight loss greater than 5% of expected body weight, fear of weight gain, excessive exercise/training, menstrual irregularity, and body image issues, as well as binge eating and the use of pathogenic weight loss methods such as induced vomiting. The term “Anorexia Athletica” is infrequently used currently, perhaps in part because many of the affected individuals can be diagnosed as having Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified and/or could be included in other partial eating-related syndromes such as the Female Athlete Triad.
If you or someone close to you may be experiencing symptoms of anorexia athletica, act quickly to get the help and treatment needed. Early identification and intervention can help prevent the possible negative health consequences of anorexia athletica. The Victory Program at McCallum Place is a special eating disorder treatment program, which may be able to help. This program offers specialized treatment designed for athletes to treat eating disorders and many other co-occurring conditions.
