Male Athletes With Eating Disorders

[rpbobcat 56]

The current Real Sports has a segment on eating disorders among male athletes.

Very interesting  piece,including the limited number of  programs that accept male patients.

 

 

 

[KTG119 820]

I didn't see the piece but suspect there is a rising number among young males in general, whether they are athletes or not. Social media etc and the desire/pressure to look a certain way....

 

[teach 175]

The majority of this nation has some sort of eating disorder whether they admit it or not.

[russelscout 1,573]

3 minutes ago, teach said:

The majority of this nation has some sort of eating disorder whether they admit it or not.

Eating disorders and body dysmorphia.

[TobusRex 2,108]

Wrestling actually ENCOURAGES eating disorders. There are guys starving themselves down a weight class or two. There are guys bulking up to move up a weight class or two. Very few guys actually wrestle their "natural" weight (where their weight would be if they weren't starving/binging).

[rpbobcat 56]

5 minutes ago, TobusRex said:

Wrestling actually ENCOURAGES eating disorders. There are guys starving themselves down a weight class or two. There are guys bulking up to move up a weight class or two. Very few guys actually wrestle their "natural" weight (where their weight would be if they weren't starving/binging).

I would have thought that sports like wrestling and boxing would have been the focus of the piece.

But the people  in the piece were a cyclist,swimmer (who starved himself to death) and hockey goalie.

 

[russelscout 1,573]

17 minutes ago, TobusRex said:

Wrestling actually ENCOURAGES eating disorders. There are guys starving themselves down a weight class or two. There are guys bulking up to move up a weight class or two. Very few guys actually wrestle their "natural" weight (where their weight would be if they weren't starving/binging).

I just haven't seen it once. I know kids still go to the extremes with starving and binging, which isn't great, but do you know anyone who received an actual diagnosis?

I knew a kid through a friend in our family. He was not in wrestling at all. He lost 60 lbs and wasn't really fat before hand. He worked out 2 times a day and they could not get him to eat anything with carbs in it. Nothing at all. He really did start to look like someone in a concentration camp and had spells where he was passing out. Still the kid would not eat until finally he found a therapist who helped him greatly. 

It is just different in wrestling. Im not saying its good, but it is almost like because you need strength, have to perform, and isn't about your own vanity that it rarely(if ever? I don't know. I haven't seen it) become as addictive. It just is not the same as someone who actually has anorexia/bulemia.

Edited February 28, 2019 by russelscout

[stp 564]

Insert beating dead horse meme.  Eating disorders among competitive athletes is nothing new.

[stp 564]

25 minutes ago, TobusRex said:

Wrestling actually ENCOURAGES eating disorders. There are guys starving themselves down a weight class or two. There are guys bulking up to move up a weight class or two. Very few guys actually wrestle their "natural" weight (where their weight would be if they weren't starving/binging).

The only athletes cutting hard are ones who're good enough to make the starting line-up.  

imo- Our HS and college weight classes deserve a remaking.

Edited February 28, 2019 by stp

[KTG119 820]

7 minutes ago, russelscout said:

I just haven't seen it once. I know kids still go to the extremes with starving and binging, which isn't great, but do you know anyone who received an actual diagnosis?

I knew a kid through a friend in our family. He was not in wrestling at all. He lost 60 lbs and wasn't really fat before hand. He worked out 2 times a day and they could not get him to eat anything with carbs in it. Nothing at all. He really did start to look like someone in a concentration camp and had spells where he was passing out. Still the kid would not eat until finally he found a therapist who helped him greatly. 

It is just different in wrestling. Im not saying its good, but it is almost like because you need strength, have to perform, and isn't about your own vanity that it rarely(if ever? I don't know. I haven't seen it) become as addictive. It just is not the same as someone who actually has anorexia/bulemia.

plenty of wrestlers, and other athletes...well people....have been bulimic. I know kids who got through seasons with multiple binge/purge routines.

 

[jchapman 1,340]

I had a high school teammate who wrestled 103 lbs all four years, he thought it was his only chance to be a varsity athlete.  He qualified for state his senior year, a culmination of four years of year round sacrifice.  From the end of his senior season in late February until we graduated in late may, he grew 3 inches and over 40 lbs.  Did he have an eating disorder per se?  Disordered eating for sure.

[rpbobcat 56]

30 minutes ago, KTG119 said:

plenty of wrestlers, and other athletes...well people....have been bulimic. I know kids who got through seasons with multiple binge/purge routines.

 

As I've posted,I wrestled in college back in the dinosaur days,before there were any  rules/restrictions  on cutting weight.

There were a couple of guys on our team  that did the "binge/puke"  routine.

One guy did  bite/chew/spit out before swallowing .

As far as I know they only did it to make weight,so I don't know if you'd say they had an  eating "disorder".

It was also common for guys to take "water pills" and occasionally down a bottle of Citrate of Magnesia after eating a big meal.

Speaking of "water pills" ,one brand actually turned urine blue,so you knew it was working.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 28, 2019 by rpbobcat

[KTG119 820]

yep recall the water pills too. and I get what you're saying, and not sure what the definition is either...'situational' bulimia vs being bulimic?

either way....not a good thing

 

[russelscout 1,573]

4 minutes ago, KTG119 said:

yep recall the water pills too. and I get what you're saying, and not sure what the definition is either...'situational' bulimia vs being bulimic?

either way....not a good thing

 

Well its showing the syptoms, but not actually having the disease. I think the main issue with eating disorders is the psychological issues. That is not actually the issue here. Does it mean its not bad? No, it certainly is, but it would wrong to say wrestling is causing actual bulimia. 

Once again, its not great either way, but I do think there needs to be some differentiation there. 

[Lurker 2,049]

2 hours ago, teach said:

The majority of this nation has some sort of eating disorder whether they admit it or not.

Truth

[ThatLogSchuteWasCarrying 179]

Is "getting really fat once you're done competing" an eating disorder?  Because if so I've got a case of it, and so do a large percentage of former wrestlers. 

[KTG119 820]

45 minutes ago, russelscout said:

Well its showing the syptoms, but not actually having the disease. I think the main issue with eating disorders is the psychological issues. That is not actually the issue here. Does it mean its not bad? No, it certainly is, but it would wrong to say wrestling is causing actual bulimia. 

Once again, its not great either way, but I do think there needs to be some differentiation there. 

agreed and I never meant to imply that wrestling causes bulimia....just that some wrestlers have obviously engaged in bulimic behavior and could arguably be labelled as bulimic, at least during periods of their lives. 

now I will make a guess here that some wrestlers, who started bulimic behavior as part of weight cutting/weight maintenance during wrestling seasons, did then carry over those activities after their wrestling careers ended. whether the psychological issues were always there and they were prone to this, or psychological issues developed when they engaged in the behavior , I'm pretty sure there are guys who were still doing this after their wrestling days were over.   

 

[teach 175]

50 minutes ago, ThatLogSchuteWasCarrying said:

Is "getting really fat once you're done competing" an eating disorder?  Because if so I've got a case of it, and so do a large percentage of former wrestlers. 

Not just former wrestlers, look around, a large percentage of American men over say 30 are over weight and by a lot.  Many of the ones who are not, come by it naturally.

[StallWarning 186]

2 hours ago, russelscout said:

I just haven't seen it once. I know kids still go to the extremes with starving and binging, which isn't great, but do you know anyone who received an actual diagnosis?

I knew a kid through a friend in our family. He was not in wrestling at all. He lost 60 lbs and wasn't really fat before hand. He worked out 2 times a day and they could not get him to eat anything with carbs in it. Nothing at all. He really did start to look like someone in a concentration camp and had spells where he was passing out. Still the kid would not eat until finally he found a therapist who helped him greatly. 

It is just different in wrestling. Im not saying its good, but it is almost like because you need strength, have to perform, and isn't about your own vanity that it rarely(if ever? I don't know. I haven't seen it) become as addictive. It just is not the same as someone who actually has anorexia/bulemia.

I think part of what you say is true.  I don't think wrestlers are cutting weight or starving themselves because they want to for vanity reasons, it's done out of necessity.  I mean, I dare someone to find a wrestler who enjoys cutting weight.  I don't think you find a lot of wrestlers addicted to starving themselves because as soon as they don't have to anymore they don't.  

When I was a kid there were no descent plans etc for managing weight.  You cut however much weight you wanted/needed to.  I HATED it but I can tell you even today I can go for long periods of time without eating and it doesn't bother me in the least, and I can also assure you that I love to eat.  

Edited February 28, 2019 by StallWarning

[Plasmodium 2,308]

5 hours ago, TobusRex said:

Wrestling actually ENCOURAGES eating disorders. There are guys starving themselves down a weight class or two. There are guys bulking up to move up a weight class or two. Very few guys actually wrestle their "natural" weight (where their weight would be if they weren't starving/binging).

You aren't describing an eating disorder.

[TobusRex 2,108]

1 hour ago, Plasmodium said:

You aren't describing an eating disorder.

Kind of a "self induced" eating disorder.

[Wrestlingbcpc 14]

I wonder myself if I would have a poor relationship with food....years later, regardless of wrestling, or the sport created that food monster.  Losing heavy weight in high school and college was the norm for me.  How I wish I could go back and wrestle at a natural weight.  I must say, no body fat, starving and an empty stomach were nothing compared to the last few pounds which was water weight/dehydration.  Cotton mouth was the worst.  Kudos to the wrestlers, coaches and parents that insist their son’s wrestle at a healthy weight 

[russelscout 1,573]

14 minutes ago, Wrestlingbcpc said:

I wonder myself if I would have a poor relationship with food....years later, regardless of wrestling, or the sport created that food monster.  Losing heavy weight in high school and college was the norm for me.  How I wish I could go back and wrestle at a natural weight.  I must say, no body fat, starving and an empty stomach were nothing compared to the last few pounds which was water weight/dehydration.  Cotton mouth was the worst.  Kudos to the wrestlers, coaches and parents that insist their son’s wrestle at a healthy weight 

Describe healthy weight? I naturally have always carried a higher body fat percentage. I am convinced if I wouldn't have cut hard, I wouldn't have competed. 

[Wrestlingbcpc 14]

I’m not a doctor. I can only speak for myself. All the signs were there that I was hurting my body; dizzy when I stood up, starving continuously, more concerned with weight than technique. Losing many pounds a day and a half before weigh in.  And all this on a young, growing young man. I do not worry sbout someone who benefits from weight loss as I think you were describing. In fact that what’s make warriors from our sport. I’m talking extreme weight loss that I suspect any doctor would frown upon. We do know there will be wrestlers who lean towards the extreme and this is the worrisome part for me...I didn’t have that wisdom back in the day. 

[rpbobcat 56]

A few years ago TP and Esco put out a "rap" CD about wrestling called The Realest Sport.

The track  "cutting weight"  really sums up what its like.