Subclinical Eating Disorders in Physically Active Women

There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that the incidence of subclinical eating disorders among active women is increasing and may exceed that of the clinical eating disorders anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Individuals with subclinical eating disorders demonstrate poor and/or distorted body images and practice restrictive and/or pathogenic weight control behaviors, but fail to meet the diagnostic criteria [Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatric Disorders (DSM-IV)] for the clinical eating disorders. While they may not suffer the severe, life-threatening medical complications of those with clinical eating disorders, active women with subclinical eating disorders may, nevertheless, experience considerable psychological distress and poor nutrition status (vs. nutrition) and health. The primary treatment goals for subclinical eating disorders are to normalize body weight and eating behaviors, modify unhelpful thought processes that maintain the eating disorder, and identify and correct the emotional issues in the individual's life that create the need for the eating disorder. Early identification and subsequent intervention, considered “secondary prevention,” has the aim of limiting the progression and/or shortening the duration of the disorder, while primary prevention involves the development of educational programs and prevention strategies designed to prevent the development of the disorder.