Eating disorders and associated symptoms among adolescent Swimmers

The article reports on two studies investigating the frequency of eating disorders among swimmers. The first study was a screening based on self-report only and the second was a controlled study with a clinical interview of alle subjects. In the screening study, 28% of men and 3.5% of women had suspected eating disorder symptoms. No significant relationship was found between risk levels and competitive levels. In the controlled study, no indications of anorexia nervosa were found. Among Swimmers, 3.2% satisfied the DSM-III-R criteria for bulimia nervosa, and 9.7% had partial bulimic conditions. The results did not support the hypothesis of an increased frequency of clinical or partial eating disorders in elite athletes. The presence of symptoms was more related to being a woman rather than being a swimmer. Suggestions for further research are outlined to determine the causal relationship between sports and eating disorders.