The prevalence of disordered eating and eating disorders vary from 0-19% in male athletes and 6-45% in female athletes. The objective of this paper is to present an overview of eating disorders in adolescent and adult athletes including: (1) prevalence data; (2) suggested sport- and gender-specific risk factors and (3) importance of early detection, management and prevention of eating disorders. Additionally, this paper presents suggestions for future research which includes: (1) the need for knowledge regarding possible gender-specific risk factors and sport- and gender-specific prevention programmes for eating disorders in sports; (2) suggestions for long-term follow-up for female and male athletes with eating disorders and (3) exploration of a possible male athlete triad.

Word count: 3295. Abstract max 266 1 ABSTRACT Objective: To examine prevalence of dieting, reasons for dieting and prevalence of disordered eating among adolescent elite athletes and age-matched controls, and to examine differences between athletes competing in leanness and non-leanness sports. Methods: First year students of 16 different Norwegian Elite Sport High Schools (athlete group, n = 682) and two randomly selected ordinary high schools from a county representative of the general Norwegian population (control group, n = 423) were invited to participate in this cross sectional study. A total of 606 athletes and 355 controls completed the questionnaire, giving a response rate of 89% and 84%, respectively. The questionnaire contained questions regarding training patterns, menstrual status and history, dieting, use of pathogenic weight control methods and the drive for thinness (DT) and body dissatisfaction (BD) subscales from the Eating Disorders Inventory. Main outcome measure: Disordered eating, defined as meeting one or more of the following criteria: DT score ≥15 (girls) and ≥10 (boys), BD score ≥14 (girls) and ≥10 (boys), BMI <17,9 kg/m 2 (girls) and <17,5 kg/m 2 (boys), current and/or ≥3 previous efforts to lose weight, use of pathogenic weight control methods, and self-reported menstrual dysfunction. Results: A higher prevalence of control subjects were dieting and classified with disordered eating compared to the athletes. An improvement of appearance was a more common reason for dieting among controls compared with athletes. No differences in dieting or disordered eating were found between leanness and non-leanness sports athletes. Conclusions: Self-reported disordered eating is more prevalent among controls than adolescent elite athletes and loosing weight to enhance performance is an important reason for dieting among adolescent elite athletes.2

Objective: To examine self reported versus objectively assessed moderate-tovigorous physical activity (MVPA), and different reasons for exercise, in patients with longstanding eating disorders (ED) when compared with controls.

Objective: To describe changes in physical activity (PA) and exercise dependence score during treatment of eating disorders (ED), and to explore correlations among changes in PA, exercise motivation, exercise dependence score and ED psychopathology in excessive and nonexcessive exercisers.Method: Thirty-eight adult females receiving inpatient treatment for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or ED not otherwise specified participated in this prospective study. Assessments included accelerometer assessed PA, Exercise Dependence Scale, Reasons for Exercise Inventory, ED Examination, and ED Inventory.Results: Amount of PA was significantly reduced in non-excessive exercisers during treatment, in excessive exercisers there was a trend towards reduced amount of PA from admission to discharge. In excessive exercisers, reduced ED psychopathology was correlated with reduction in exercise dependence score and perceived importance of exercise to regulate negative affects, but not with importance of exercise for weight/ appearance. These associations were not found in non-excessive exercisers.Discussion: Excessive exercise is an important issue in longstanding ED, and the excessive exercising patients need help to develop alternative strategies to regulate negative affects. V