Eating Disorders in College Athletes Thousands of students are recruited to become student athletes at universities each year, and approximately 8 million people suffer from eating disorders each year. According to psychology applied to modern life, eating disorders are defined as “severe eating disorders characterized by preoccupation with weight and unhealthy efforts to control weight (Weiten, Dunn, Hammer, 2011, p. 470)”. Eating disorders can include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. With risk factors like low self-esteem, pressure from family, friends and coaches, and unlimited access to food, it's no wonder that college athletes have higher rates of eating disorders than regular students university. Living in a dorm filled mostly with athletes, it has become extremely apparent to me that these athletes struggle with immense pressure and one way around this pressure is bulimia. Some sports place more pressure on athletes to have a certain size and perform at a certain level than others. No matter what sport an athlete participates in, once they reach a certain level there is a tremendous amount of pressure. When an athlete deprives themselves of food or makes themselves vomit after eating, they can start down a path of malnutrition, which will have a huge impact on their performance. Athletes battling eating disorders may experience symptoms such as anemia, muscle loss, osteoporosis, electrolyte imbalance, heart problems, and hormonal changes (Harms, 2012). In most cases, when athletes lose weight they end up developing problems such as fatigue, nutritional deficiencies, and stunted growth that only go… middle of paper… Nero, DR(1988). Male and female college athletes: Prevalence of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Athletic Training, 23, 137-140. Powers, P. S., & Johnson, C. (1996). Small victories: Prevention of eating disorders among athletes. Eating disorders: The Journal of Treatment and Prevention, 4, 364-367. Leff, S., & Hoyle, R. (1995). Young athlete's perception of parental support and pressure. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 24(2), 187-203. Retrieved November 18, 2013, from http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF01537149#page-1Weiten, W., Dunn, D.S., Hammer, E.Y. (2011). Psychology applied to modern life. Belmont, California. Cengage Learning Anorexia Nervosa. (n.d.). Anorexia Nervosa. Retrieved November 21, 2013, from http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/patientcare/healthcare_services/mental_health/mental_health_about/eating/anorexia_nervosa/Pages/index.aspx