LRC Discussion: Finding the proper way to discuss eating disorders/women's weight issues on LetsRun.com

IJP,

It is great to know there are programs/centers out there like the EDC-D. At the end of the day, this is a serious mental disorder, and often times is handled in such a way that frightens away some seeking help (no one wants to check themselves into a mental center with a bunch of 'crazies' running around). However, to know there are places that solely concentrate on eating disorders and even more so, understand the issue as it relates to high performance athletes, is comforting.

Thanks for educating us on the EDC-D and I will be sure to share your information with others.

-David

I really appreciate seeing this. I've been in the Denver/Boulder area my whole life and the one thing that's kept me from getting help is the cost. It always seems expensive and dealing with insurance companies has what has kept me away from getting some help.

I battled an eating disorder in the mid 80's and over the past 2 years. Good discussion. Just my 2 cents to add and in no particular order, just a stream of thoughts...

1. The praise I received from losing weight, starting running, finishing marathons, then nearly BQ'ing reinforced the eating disorder.

2. I am a male, and really felt alone in my battle. It seems like the perception of the eating disorder is the younger females, not 48 year old men.

3. I also felt incredible shame. Alot of misunderstanding of this. I was put off work because I was too weak to function. I was forced into counseling. My counselor was employer approved with consult with Behavior Services, and had no experience with eating disorders. Fortunately, she was a wonderful person who did help me.

4. My ED was classified as EDNOS, but was similar to bulimia in that I would starve and restrict, then binge. But I used exercise as my purge. I had a very narrow list of safe foods I could eat - green veggies and oatmeal made up over 90% of my diet. I would mix raw unsweetened pumpkin with oatmeal then add sweet & low packets.

5. Even today, diet is still restrictive, but I do hit 1800 calories a day.

6. Someone mentioned OCD - yes, weighing self many times each day, before and after showers, after using restroom, after exercise, counting every calorie, logging every bite, that was all apart of it. There is also serious OCD and eating disorder among my mother.

7. I would feel so much shame - but I would think - How do we look at others whose diet led to diabetes or to high cholesterol or heart disease? Why am I treated like this is such a terrible thing that I allowed? Is there such a stigma on mental health disorders like an ED?

So stream of consciousness off - I applaud an open discussion. Be open, be honest, reach out and help! Love one another. Be available.

Hats off to Hannah Christ on her recent thoughtful blog post as she battles an eating disorder. As someone who suffered in silence during college running (and witnessed several other runners do the same), several pieces resonated with me, especially this line: "It’s an unspoken rule in the running community that we don’t address these problems publicly." Bravo to her for sharing a struggle that is sadly far from unique in female runners. Hopefully her transparency helps some runners have the courage to seek support. I'll certainly be sharing this with coaches. Thank you, Hannah.

I've been reading the discussion on this topic over the last few months and I just wanted to share a report that we aired last night on NBC Bay Area hoping to raise awareness about eating disorders in college athletics.

Anyone who has been around college sports long enough is aware that this is a pervasive problem, however our report found that many universities in California don’t screen athletes before allowing them to compete.

Below is a link to our full report.

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/investigations/Eating-Disorders-in-College-Sports-Ignored-at-Major-Universities--370540141.html

Kevin Nious

NBC Bay Area

Kevin.Nious@nbc.com

Just came across this conversation, and thought I'd add this to it:

Having had my own eating disorder (not just anorexia, but also binge eating disorder), and now coaching high school cross country, I started my website

www.RunninginSilence.com

in December 2012 while racing cross country and track at Aquinas College to talk about my anorexia, binge eating, and bulimia. I've now had my self-help memoir Running in Silence: My Drive for Perfection and the Eating Disorder That Fed It (Amazon) published by Koehler Books, which details my journey and recovery process and offers ways for coaches and athletes to recover. This would be a great resource for coaches and athletes who want to learn more.

At this time I am speaking about my experience and recovery story around the country. My most recent talks were at a coaches clinic in Illinois (ITCCCA), as well as to the general public and dietitian students at Boston University. I talk with my cross country team about this topic each year. I absolutely believe all coaches should be talking about this, and if not comfortable enough to do so, bring in someone each year who can.