Preventing Disordered Eating in High School Athletes: A Guide for Coaches and Parents

I am not a doctor. But I’ve seen the devastating impact of disordered eating in youth athletes over the years, and on a very personal level. Often, it starts from something small - an offhand comment, a skipped meal, or an innocent goal to “lose a little weight”, and can quickly turn into something dangerous. Diet culture is everywhere, and our kids are absorbing it constantly. Between adults obsessed with thinness and flawless fake social media images pushed in front of them daily, young athletes face tremendous pressure about their bodies.

As coaches, we have a huge responsibility. We should never promote diet culture. What does that mean for us? That means avoiding terms like “race weight” or implying that thinner equals faster. That kind of thinking is outdated and can cause extreme mental and physical damage. Instead, focus on teaching athletes that food is fuel, not a reward or a punishment.

Parents also play a critical role. Avoid telling your athletes they are eating too much. Young athletes need plenty of fuel to rebuild muscles and recover properly from training. Words matter! Terms like “junk” or “clean” can be harmful. When kids start labeling foods this way, it can quickly spiral into avoidance of entire food groups and disordered eating patterns.

Instead, encourage kids to:

• Eat a variety of nutrients to support training and growth.

• Understand that calories are energy, and their bodies need fuel to perform well every day.

• Focus on how food helps them feel strong and recover, not how it affects their appearance.

It’s equally important to never comment on an athlete’s body or weight. These conversations are unnecessary and can be extremely damaging. Your role as a coach or parent is to create an environment where performance, health, and joy in the sport come first, not appearance.

By prioritizing nutrition as fuel, encouraging variety, and steering clear of diet culture messaging, we can help young athletes develop a healthy relationship with food and running. This kind of guidance can prevent the small, innocent beginnings of disordered eating from turning into a dangerous pattern.

Please feel free to print out and use the following as a reference while working with student athletes:

Quick Tips to Prevent Disordered Eating in High School Athletes

For Coaches:

• Never promote diet culture on your team! Avoid terms like “race weight” or implying thinner equals faster.

• Focus on food as fuel, not appearance or body size.

• Avoid commenting on how an athlete looks or their weight as these conversations are unnecessary and harmful.

• Encourage variety in nutrition to support training, growth, and recovery.

• Remind athletes that calories = energy; their bodies need fuel to perform and recover.

• Make practices and workouts about fun, progress, and teamwork, not body size or numbers on a scale.

  
  

For Parents:

• Never tell athletes they are eating too much. Trust that their body needs fuel.

• Avoid labeling foods as “junk” or “clean”; instead, teach balance and variety.

• Encourage healthy eating habits by focusing on strength, energy, and recovery.

• Be a positive role model! Avoid diet talk about your own body in front of your kids.

• Keep the focus on joy in running and healthy habits, not appearance or performance alone.

  
  

Remember: Healthy young athletes perform better, recover faster, and enjoy running more when food is seen as fuel, not punishment. Consistency, encouragement, and care make the biggest difference.