	AllExperts > Anorexia/Eating Disorders
	Search

About Ryan Hale
Expertise
I can answer questions specifically geared towards athletes and their eating issues. I would be able to assist parents or coaches with questions or concerns about disordered eating practices often found in the exercise and sports settings.

Experience
I have a bachelor's degree in sports medicine and a master's degree in sport psychology. I am not a liscensed counselor but I am pursing my counseling education currently. I have also worked with athletes at every level for the last 15 years, particularly elite high school athletes and females.

Education/Credentials
bachelor's degree sports medicine master's degree sport psychology currently pursuing graduate degree in counseling psychology

Past/Present Clients
U.S. national team level female athletes High school athletes Semi-pro soccer

You are here: Experts > Health/Fitness > Eating Disorders > Anorexia/Eating Disorders > Do i have EDNOS?

Anorexia/Eating Disorders - Do i have EDNOS?

Expert: Ryan Hale - 10/24/2009

Question
When I was about 13 I started to become more aware of my body. I had been a competitive gymnast for 7 years and I had just gotten a new coach who was teaching us how to eat healthier. So, I cut back on my sugary foods and started eating better which my parents loved. Then in about 9th grade I started eating less and thought a lot about my body and how it looked. I lost about 8 pounds which people commented on and it felt good. Slowly the problem has gotten worse and now I am 16 and I eat anywhere from 600-1000 calories a day and never more. I still work out a ton and am a competitive cheerleader. I have had friends ask me if I am anorexic because i never eat and they think I look skinnier. I am only five foot one and because of my muscle I still weigh 115 which is a BMI of 21.7 or so. I do not believe I am anorexic because i do eat and my BMI is normal. But recently I had found information on EDNOS and I was wonder if that is what I might have.

Answer
Jessica- when it comes to eating disorders and athletics, it is common that one's situation not fit a clinical definition of an eating disorder. Also, the "typical" eating disorder usually contains "typical" risks and predisposition that are often found in the lives of someone with anorexia or bulimia. When it comes to athletes, I usually use the term "disordered eating." Very often, the eating behavior is common only during season or for a time period that does not fit the clinical definition of an eating disorder. It can be dangerous of harmful none the less.

As an athlete, it is not possible to gauge your body or healthy behavior by the traditional BMI. The BMI does not account for the amount of muscle an athlete needs for their activity. According to the BMI, every pro body builder (who weigh between 200 and 300lbs but have only about 2-3% body fat during a competition) would be considered obese. Clearly that is not the case. You are safe in adding at least 2 points to your BMI. It is more important to adjust your caloric need with your activity level. If you are competing or training, you HAVE to feed the machine! Your food is your fuel. You have what is called your basil metabolic rate. That is the amount of calories you would burn if all you did was lay in bed all day. That number is around 800 calories. You still need to address your caloric needs for activities of daily living (like walking around to all of your classes and driving your car, thinking on your algebra test, and walking around the mall (around 1,000 calories or so). And then there is the caloric need for your exercise and sport. It is impossible to tell how many calories you burn doing that because I don't know the activities. But, as you can see, you need more calories than you are currently taking in.

The best place to start would be with your school's athletic trainer if you have one. The federal government also has helpful web sites that have the food pyramid and caloric tables. There are even good Iphone applications for exercise and calories (the one I'm thinking of is called diet and exercise assistant) that can help you predict your calorie needs and adjust it for your activity.

As an athlete, you are on the razor's edge as far as your weight and calories go. You can't be healthy and eat a restrictive amount of food forever. Please consider adjusting your caloric intake for your activity level. If there are aspects of your life that could be better or are putting extra pressure on you, those things could be influencing your eating behavior as well. Stuff like relationships, family, school, etc. In that case, it could also be helpful to pop your head into the school counselor's office and ask if you could set an appointment to talk about some of it. If you have anything like that going on, it can pile on top of a disordered eating situation and become an even bigger problem. So, think about talking with a counselor as well. Good luck!!

Add to this Answer Ask a Question