Browsing by Author "Dubb, Emma"

Goals. Studies show that athletes have a higher risk of developing eating disorders than non-athletes, which is influenced by, for example, sports environment, type of sport, and level of competition. Research has also been done on differences between sports and it has been found that aesthetic sports have an increased risk of developing eating disorders. However, the risk factors for eating disorders in aesthetic sports have received less attention even though identifying the risk factors would play an important role in identifying and preventing eating disorders. The aim of this literature review is to elucidate and describe risk factors for eating disorders in aesthetic sports. Methods. A literature search was conducted using the PubMed database with the keywords ”(eating disorder*) AND (aesthetic sport*) AND (risk factor*)”. There was a total of 27 results. Of these, the articles covering both aesthetic sports and eating disorders were read in more detail. There was a total of 12 articles that met the criterion. Five articles focusing on the risk factors for eating disorders were selected for this literature review. Results and conclusions. The studies in this literature review supported the findings of previous research that aesthetic sports are associated with an increased risk of developing eating disorders compared to other sports. The significant risk factors for eating disorders in aesthetic sports were social pressure to be thin, sports pressure, desire to be leaner to improve sports performance, and body dissatisfaction. The risk of eating disorders seemed to increase if athletes’ dieting wasn’t supervised and if athletes believed that their sports performance could be enhanced through weight regulation. The results of these studies highlight the importance of coaches in the prevention of eating disorders because they can influence the thoughts of young athletes about dieting and weight loss. These results can be useful when trying to identify aesthetic athletes at risk for eating disorders and in the prevention of their eating disorders