Top 20 Famous Athletes With Eating Disorders

Well-known Male & Female Athletes with Eating Disorders

Many athletes, past and present, have dealt with an eating disorder. These eating disorders have caused great turmoil in their lives, and consequently, have had a negative impact on their athletic careers. In many of these people, perfectionist behavior and a competitive nature exist. These are personality traits common in eating disordered people as well. Anorexia and bulimia are the two most popular forms of eating disorders among athletes.

Certain types of sports or the presence of a demanding coach increase the possibility of an eating disorder. If you are an athlete and find that you have an eating disorder, seeking eating disorder treatment at an eating disorder treatment clinic is often beneficial to recovery. Which famous athletes have struggled with eating disorders that eventually had a negative impact on their athletic ability? The following list includes a variety of athletes who have struggled with anorexia and/or bulimia.

11. Nancy Kerrigan – A winner of 2 Olympic medals for figure skating, Nancy also struggled with an eating disorder. Her eating disorder may have been triggered in part by being purposely injured in the leg by a hired attacker.
12. Kelly Masey – Masey was a gymnast who also suffered from an eating disorder. She is thought to have begun this disorder as a result of high pressure to succeed in the sport.
13. Martina Eberl – Martina, a German golfer, struggled with the eating disorder bulimia. This disorder began when the golfer was about 14 years old. She had the illness for over ten years before she finally sought out treatment. Today, she is recovered and has since returned to golf.b
14. Stefan Zund – This Swiss ski-jumper dealt with an eating disorder that eventually ended his sports career. During his career, he won several victories at the World-Cup.
15. Christy Henrich – This U.S. gymnast eventually developed anorexia and bulimia, eating disorders which plagued her for several years. The story frequently mentioned is that she was told by a United States judge that she was too fat to excel in gymnastics, and thus developed an eating disorder to lose weight. Eventually, multiple organ failure (caused by her disorder) killed her at the age of 22, she was 47 pounds.
16. Megan Neyer – Megan, a professional diver, struggled with bulimia for approximately 7 years. This may have been due to her perfectionist and competitive nature.
17. Laffit Pincay – This jockey dealt with the eating disorder anorexia. During his career he was named the leading jockey of the United States 7 times, he also won a variety of other awards.
18. Jamie Silverstein – After 5 years of struggling with anorexia, Jamie, a pairs figure skater, sought help for her disorder. She took four years off from ice skating and after her recovery was once again able to compete and perform in competitions such as the Olympics.
19. Kathy Johnson – This gymnast developed anorexia after harsh criticism about her weight from a coach.
20. Heidi Guenther – Heidi was a ballet dancer who struggled with anorexia after being advised by her ballet company to lose 5 pounds. She died at the age of 22 because of the complications associated with her disorder. After her death, a program was created to raise awareness and reduce eating disorders in dancers.

Specialized programs offered at eating disorder treatment centers can be very helpful to anyone dealing with an eating disorder. Therapy sessions offered in anorexia treatment facilities and bulimia clinics may be especially helpful to perfectionists and those dealing with large amounts of stress. Full recovery is an option at an eating disorder residential center and been proven effective in numerous cases. Don’t let an eating disorder hinder your life and ability to succeed as an athlete, as it did many of these famous athletes.