how many skaters have eating disorders? i know it is common!

__________________
Sk8ing is a way of life. Live 2 sk8

i used to have bulimia(sp) i felt like i couldnt hold my food down so i owuld purge. it wasnt pleasent! if i did keep it down i felt bloated and like a balloon.

all i can say is thank god i got over it!

__________________
Sk8ing is a way of life. Live 2 sk8

well, I highly doubt anyone is going to come out and tell you. Who knows what the % is but it does exist.

Asking how many skaters have an eating disorder is a very silly question. It will lead to speculation and rumours. Asking about eating disorders and how to prevent them, causes etc is a better question.

I had to quit skating when I became anorexic in high school....

__________________
This space has been put on hiatus for retuning....

well thats what this thread could become jp1andonly. obviously some people do want to talk about it though. i know when i was going through it, i felt like i had no one to turn to. this way people can work through it together.

__________________
Sk8ing is a way of life. Live 2 sk8

I never had problems with bulimia or anexoria, but I did have problems with anxiety disorder (which is pretty closely related). For example, I couldn't drive without falling apart, and the smell of car exhaust in the winter would literally paralize me (because I had my first panic attack in a car wash line up and the smell would trigger the memory).

Anyway, one of the things that helped me recover was the knowledge that I was not alone - that I was not weird - that I was not a freak. So if a thread like this can help any of our skaters find a way out of their own personal he**, than I say let's talk!

__________________
"The only place where success comes before work is in a dictionary." -- Vidal Sasson

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." -- Unknown

Did the anxiety ever affect your ability to eat? I have been under a lot of stress here for about the past two months (not skating related) and I find it difficult to keep food. I wake up nauseated most days, and always feel like I have a gnawing in my stomach that won't go away. I usually manage to eat something though, little bits at a time. I definitely don't fear food, but I wish I weren't so stressed all the time. It's beginning to show...everybody and their family is asking me these days why I've lost weight, and it's not like I'm trying!

__________________
All that glitters has a high refractive index.

I believe that anxiety and stress can manifest itself in one's appetite either by destroying it completely, as in MissIndigo's case, or by causing one to comfort eat. I know that when I was younger, stress would go straight to my tummy and I just didn't eat - sadly, now that I am middle-aged, the reverse is true! I wish it was as easy to lose weight now as it was then.....

Skaters, like gymnasts and ballet dancers, are under enormous pressure to stay small and slight, since it is a lot easier to jump and spin and be lifted if one is. I imagine this could make them especially prone to eating disorders. On the other hand, the rate in the general community seems to be about 8-10% of teenage girls, so perhaps they are no more prone to such disorders than anybody else. What helps, of course, is early tuition and example of what constitutes a healthy diet!

__________________
Mrs Redboots
~~~~~~~~
I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

I guess I didn't phrase my comments very well. Sorry bout that sk8ting for lyfe. For some reason I thought you wanted the names of highly competitive skaters. I don't know why I thought that but I thought you were looking to gossip.

I need to stop reading the boards when I'm tired....

MissIndigo just to answer your question anxiety can greatly affect eating patterns as can stress or any change in your life no matter unimporatant you might think it to be. I would encourage you to scedule an appoinment with your doctor and see if he or she can proscribe some medications for the anxiety. I know there are some great medicines out there that could help you. I know they have helped me with my anxiety.

Now getting back to the main subject of this thread on eating disorders. i feel lead to share my story in hopes that maybe it will cause someone to get help now and not go down the same road i went down. please read my story if you think it might help you.

I was a very quiet, shy, and submissive 15yr old when i was approcahed about pairskating with this guy who was much older than i. I was thrilled that he chose me and loved pairskating from the minute i started. In begining the relationship was fine but soon things went down hill. Everthing became my fault weather or not it really was and i began to internalize the things he said or implied about me and my body. i thought that i was to fat and would never succeed in life beacuse of this so the anorexia which i had flirted with since the age of 12 really became apparent. i was purging manny times a day and overexercizing. I hated myself and all of my selfconfidince was stripped from me. My parents had no idea what was going on in the relationship so i stuck with it for another 3 years beacuse i felt like i couldn't get out. The only reason that i got out was beacuse i have some of the best friends who took me aside at the rink and made me realize that i am worth sooo much more than this. they urged me to get the professional help that i needed.

Now fast forward to today. I am now 19 and i wish that i could say the minute i stopped skating with this guy my life got all better but it didn't. I am a freshman in college and am still struggling with purging anorexia. this past year has been the hardest of all for me mostly due to the fact that i started college last fall which i love but is also very stressful for me. I have been seeing a therapist for about 8 months and i also have been hospitalized twice which has helped but i still struggle daily. Many people ask me if i had the chance would i go back and do this all over again or would i do something diffrently. I can honestly say that i would go through this again in a heartbeat if i could just help one person not to go down this road or to help someone to get the treatment that they need. so please of you are reading this and fear you might have an eating disorder or just have any questions for me feel free tod rop me an e-mail or post a message for me. sorry this was sooo long but i felt lead to share and if you couldn't tell from reading this im studdying psychology so heplfully i didn't sound too much like a psychologist

It certainly can. As Mrs. Redboots said, it can go either way - overindulging or not eating. Also, something called Irritable Bowel Syndrome effects people with anxiety - so if you are getting a lot of stomach cramps that may be why.

The best "cure" for anxiety disorder, and I would think also for anorexia/bulimia is to change the way you think. By this I mean not only the way you think about yourself, but also the way you think about the world around you.

lilpairskater mentioned that when she was skaing with that guy, everything was her fault. I used to think that when anything happened that adversly effected my life. I had to learn that other people have problems, and I do not need to internalize their problems. If someone is having a bad day, it is not my fault. If someone doesn't like me, it is not my fault. For a while when you are in recovery you get downright selfish - and that's ok because eventually it evens out.

Another thing - back then I had to always be strong and always be right and always be in control. It was literally impossible to admit that anything could be wrong with my life. I was perfect. But inside, I knew that I wasn't perfect, I wasn't in control, and I wasn't as strong as I pretended to be. With me, the stress caused by this took the form of panic attacks and other physical symptoms like tingling fingers and chest pain.

Anxiety disorder was bad enough - but I think that anexoria/bulimia can be worse because you are actually physically harming yourself (the worst physical harm someone with anxiety disorder does to themselves is to self-medicate by drinking alcohol). Good professional help is the key. If you have a problem with any of these things, you aren't alone!

PS - if anyone wants to know the name of the organization that helped me overcome my anxiety, PM me. They offer a self-help program that really worked for me.

__________________
"The only place where success comes before work is in a dictionary." -- Vidal Sasson

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." -- Unknown

Long before I started skating and when I was in high school, I suffered from borderline anorexia (i.e., I was just slightly over the recommended percentage body weight and was never hospitalized). We got that under control, but then I discovered bulimia and had a terrible time with that. We got it under control, finally. I was seriously studying ballet and performing a lot, and that culture just breeds disordered eating! To this day, though, when I'm under serious emotional stress (like when I went through a divorce or when my mom died), it rears its ugly head and I have to fight it all over again.

Luckily, I've never felt any pressure to get skinny for skating. I did lose a few pounds just to help out my Faux Pairs partner, but nothing serious. Eating disorders are almost nonexistent where I skate! Hallelujah!

Just to relate about a friend of mine who people always thought had an eating disorder, but she was just very thin (probably had a very high metabolism). I know that she has a very healthy appetitite. However for years she did not wear black leggings (they make your legs look thinner) because if she did people would comment that she needed to put some weight on. It used to really peeve her off that people would be like that and felt that they had the right to comment about her weight when for her it was really natural to be thin.

I know this digresses from the original question of the thread, but this does happen to thin people, particularly skaters.

__________________
Check out Cool Cat Skating Products - Australian Owned and Produced Skating Stuff.
www.geocities.com/aussiecoolcat/index

I agree. I'm naturally slim too. Last year, I was at skating and a woman I knew came up to me and was talking to me. She asked me if I was alright (I was fine), and said I was looking very thin. She then started saying about how some teenagers "get funny ideas", implying that maybe there was something wrong with me. She obviously meant well, but I was quite upset later on because I thought people saw me like that, thought that I was ill. I've never had an eating disorder and while I don't have the biggest appetite in the world, I do eat quite a lot (and snack). I'm just naturally slim. Family members also commented that I was "thin" around that time too, so I actually got quite worried. I got over it though, because I knew that I was healthy. The point is, sometimes if someone is quite thin, people automatically assume there might be something wrong, and it can actually be quite hurtful for people to say that to you. I had thought the zip-up top I was wearing that time on the ice was quite flattering to my figure, but I haven't worn it again.

__________________
"It’s never too late to skate at any age." - Alexei Mishin.

I've never had anorexia but I came close twice, in that I SEVERELY altered my caloric intake and excercised like a demon. Both had to do with issues other than my looks but I blamed my being "fat". The first time I got pleurisy and was quite weak and the doctor talked to me and explained to me I was over doing it and I had ordered bed rest for 1 week and lots of medicine. The second time my boss took me aside and asked me what was I doing to myself, that I looked awful and I needed to start eating they were all getting worried about me. And I realized I'd gone too far and starting eating a little more and that was the last time I've ever done that and since I was never hospitalized and have never given into the urge since then I don't really think I had anorexia but I was definitely on my way there. However, I do have a little voice that sometimes tells me " It's because you're fat......" but thankfully I know I'm not fat and can rationalize and ignore the voice. :-)

__________________
Too many people miss the silver lining because they're expecting gold.
Maurice Setter

Having taken ballet for nearly 20 years before I started skating, I knew a lot of dancers who had eating disorders or disordered eating. Many of my friends dealt with this and are much healthier now. I also knew a few girls in high school (not dancers) who had severe eating disorders but weren't emaciated, so not everyone could tell.

The hardest thing, for me, as a friend or an acquaintance, is to see someone who is an adult who is dealing with a severe eating disorder. I know a very talented dancer who has struggled with this for many years and has recently gotten much thinner. Her eating disorder has now affected her to the point where it's had very negative effects on her career (a lot of missed opportunities and jobs) and the quality of her dancing is suffering, too. People take her aside all the time and ask her if she's alright and express concern, but she usually brushes them off.

I also know a girl who had a stomach disorder since she was very small, so everyone accused her of being anorexic, when it wasn't really her fault that she couldn't keep the weight on. She was under very good medical care for the stomach problem, and her parents were very supportive, but strangers often gave her odd looks or made nasty comments about her body or her dancing.

My sympathies are with anyone who is dealing with an eating disorder or who knows someone who is going through this.

I just wanted to thank everyone for sharing their stories and experiences on this topic. It helps me to know that im not the only skater who is out there struggling with an eating disorder. I also want to let everyone know that there really is hope when it comes to this disease and that it is something that can be overcome. I was also wondering if you guys would mind keeping me in your prayers as im looking at going into a residential treatment center within the next couple of weeks and im really scared. thank you sooo much i really appreciate it.


I also have a question for those of you who are still skating and suffer from an eating disorder. How does this diesease affect your skating? are you able to skate at all? Ive taken the past two months off and i know that when im really sick its almost imposible for me to skate beacuse i get sooo dizzy very quickly.

those of you who are fighting an eating disorder never give up hope.

Best wishes to you, Lilpairsk8ter. I'm sorry for the pain you are going through, and I will keep you in my prayers. You were wise to seek professional help. Don't be discouraged if it seems as though you are not progressing as quickly as you would like. Your problems did not develop overnight but took years. I hope every day will be a better day for you until you are finally able to believe in yourself and enjoy the wonderful things in life you deserve.

I've known several skaters and dancers who have suffered from eating disorders and, after seeking treatment, all have recovered or are on their way to recovery. One friend was severely bulimic and ended up hospitalized in intensive care, but she did get better and is now healthy, happy, and successful in her dance career. Sadly, another friend (not a skater or dancer) did not seek treatment and resisted all efforts to help her and passed away after suffering from anorexia for nearly two years.

It's sad that we have so much pressure on us to be thin. You can look at any women's magazine and many of the articles address ways to lose weight. How many normal size models do you see in a magazine and how many normal size people are on TV or in the movies? My niece was offered a modeling contract by her brother's agency but was told she would need to lose 15 lbs. She was 5'8" and weighed 120 lbs. and quickly decided that modeling was not for her.

Hi JDC1,

You've just described a recognised eating disorder called Exercise Bulimia. I used to do the same thing back in my late teens and early twenties. This was back in the early to mid-70's when the term anorexia and the concept of eating orders didn't exist in the mind of the general public, so I thought I was the only one in the world doing it.

Cheers,
Raine

That makes sense, sometimes I feel myself panicking if I don't get enough time to work out or get to skate enough and I realize it's irrational and can talk myself through it. I finally linked together my constant infections with over working out and not getting enough rest. I guess I'll always have to fight this inclination to over do it, I don't restrict calories anymore, I have acid reflux disease and low blood sugar so the two combined DEMAND that I eat on a regular basis

__________________
Too many people miss the silver lining because they're expecting gold.
Maurice Setter

I never had an eating disorder but I watched one of my fellow skaters get skinnier and skinnier as she battled anorexia, she wouldnt admit it, but by the end her dance partner was afraid to dance with her fearing he would crush her. It was really sad , she had to quit skating because even the slightest fall would injure her. I wish figure skating clubs and associations would really promote healthy eating habits.

I was looking through past threads and what with getting into the thick of the competitive season, I thought I should revive this.

That was my problem as well. I'm not "fat" but I'm not exactly thin either and I don't lose weight easily. So, a few months after I started my bout with bulimia (I say bulimia, but it was usually a few weeks of it, then try out anorexia for a while, then back to the purging, etc...) just last year around this time, I started to get compliments from my friends about how healthy I was looking. If only they had known.

I'm not a skater, but I have an obsession with control...which is slowly getting better. So, basically I think it's really important to talk to someone and get your feelings out there to people you trust. I have a friend who helped me sooooo much and I don't even think he knows it, but we were just talking about eating disorders and I mentioned how I "used" to have one. Then he told me how he had struggled with bulimia too and that he hadn't purged for about 2 months and just knowing that someone was getting through it and was happier for it just gave me all the strength that I needed. (Thanx, you know who you are )

So, now I'm 8 months and going strong and happier than I ever was when I was looking "healthy". That's my story and I just thought I'd share because I think this is a really important topic, especially for skaters and dancers, and there are a lot more members since the last time this was discussed.

I've recently learned about a young female skater in my club that is bulimic. It's very sad. She's skinny as a rail, but when she looks at team pictures of herself thinks she looks fat. She's been attending weekly help sessions, but that doesn't seem to do the trick.

I feel terrible for her and especially bad for her boyfriend who is trying to deal with her problem. He is so afraid for her. If for no other reason, she should think about him as an incentive to stop her behavior.

__________________
Many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. - Henry David Thoreau

Check out this cool website, and Feed the Model!

www.adiosbarbie.com

__________________
This space has been put on hiatus for retuning....

It's just not that simple, gary. It's not "behavior" that she can stop; it's a psychological / psychiatric disorder. Been there, done that. It's about control. All my family and friends were worried sick about me, but that was a minor problem compared to the other issues going on.