Despite heightened eating disorder awareness, anorexia athletica – an increasingly common condition around the world – remains a poorly understood and infrequently discussed eating disorder. In this article, we’ve taken a look at what you can do if you think your friend might be struggling with anorexia athletica.
Anorexia athletica, a subtype condition of anorexia nervosa, is characterized by excessive or compulsive exercising habits. In addition to overtraining injuries, people with anorexia athletica are at risk of malnutrition, menstruation cessation, and early-onset osteoporosis.
Because exercising is generally regarded as a healthy practice, anorexia athletica can be a difficult condition to diagnose. If you suspect that someone you know is struggling with anorexia athletica, try asking yourself the following questions:
If you think someone you know is battling anorexia athletica, there are several things you should do. Firstly, start educating yourself about eating disorders, especially the signs and symptoms of anorexia athletica. If you don’t know how to begin, get in touch with a medical professional and ask for some eating disorder resources.
Your next step is to slowly come up with a way of approaching your friend and discussing their exercising habits in a safe, friendly, and supportive manner. Do everything you can to avoid analyzing their weight, body shape, or general health. If your friend is open to talking about their exercise habits, it’s imperative that you remain non-judgmental and supportive. If you feel comfortable with the idea, you can also ask your friend if they’d consider involving you in the eating disorder recovery and treatment process.
Sources: Eating Disorders Hope, Self, Mirror Mirror, The Telegraph
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