title: Understanding Eating Disorders in Elite Gymnastics: Ethical and Conceptual Challenges.
abstract: Eating disorders and disordered eating are more common in high performance sports than the general population, and particularly so in high performance aesthetic sports. This paper presents some of the conceptual difficulties in understanding and diagnosing eating disorders in high performance gymnasts. It presents qualitative and quantitative data from a study designed to ascertain the pattern of eating disorder symptoms, depressive symptoms and levels of self-esteem among national and international level gymnasts from the UK in the gymnastic disciplines of sport acrobatics, tumbling, and rhythmic gymnastics.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Life Sciences 2, College of Medicine, Swansea University, Room 306, Floor 3, Singleton Campus, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK. Electronic address: j.o.a.tan@swansea.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Jacinta Oon Ai
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Psychology Applied to Health, College House, University of Exeter Medical School, St. Luke's Campus, Magdalen Road, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK.
authors.forename: Raff
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Calitri
authors.affiliation: Interprofessional Studies, College of Human and Health Sciences, Floor 7, Vivian Tower, Swansea University Singleton Campus, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bloodworth
authors.affiliation: College of Engineering, Swansea University Bay Campus, Fabian Way, Swansea SA1 8EN, UK.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: McNamee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006173:Gymnastics / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D013178:Sports Medicine / Q000941:ethics*; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Depressive symptoms; Eating disorders; Elite performance; Female athlete triad syndrome; Gymnastics; Self-esteem