Coaches and Teachers in the Eating Disorders Recovery Process

In my last post, I introduced the subject of eating disorders among athletes. Today, I thought that I would integrate that topic into our discussion of a team approach to eating disorders treatment.

Although athletic communities and coaching personnel are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their approach to athletic training, many coaches are nevertheless unaware of the increased risk for eating disorders among athletes.

Yet athletes look up to their coaches tremendously, value their opinions, and take their recommendations seriously; sometimes valuing their opinions even more than the opinions of their parent's or other family members. This makes for one of the reasons why it may be helpful and important to consider asking a patient's coach to be a part of the support-process for a patient during recovery from an eating disorder.

Coaches (as well as respected teachers and other significant role models) can often play a unique and important role in advising and encouraging patients in having a balanced approach to weight and food issues. For example, if a coach or teacher refuses to allow althetic peers to make comments about weight in the classroom or gym, it can go a long way to promoting a healthy environment. If public weigh-ins are absent from coaches' training curriculum, this likewise can have a lasting, positive effect. If a school or athletic program will agree to be educated, and in turn educate their athletes, about healthy nutrition, this creates a foundation for health among that population.

The NCAA recently created a handbook for coaches about eating disorders encouraging intervention and prevention and other resources for coaches likewise encourage being a healthy role model. This may be a useful resource for some of your patients' role models.

Just as clergy and community group leaders may play a positive role in a patient's extended recovery, likewise coaches and teachers can be considered a part of one's "recovery team" when appropriate. If and when a patient is ready (and again, if appropriate) including his or her coach as a "supporter" of that patient's recovery efforts can offer an extended sphere of positive influence. Who knows, it may even translate into that coach taking a more proactive effort at preventing eating disorders in his or her athletic program! (For more information about suggestions for prevention of eating disorders among athletes, click here: Download .pdf ).

As I have said before, "It takes a team to treat eating disorders". Coaches and teachers may indeed play an important role and serve as encouraging members of that team...

An excellent and recommended resource on this matter is the BodySense Program, a program of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport. Their website features helpful information for athletes, parents, and coaches about eating disorders prevention and recovery.

Source: Institute For Research And Education HealthSystem Minnesota (1999). How did this happen: A practical guide for understanding eating disorders - for parents, teachers, and coaches. 

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