An elite runner’s story highlights the dangers of eating disorders for male athletes

Often times more than most people know. This is not unusual. As rare as people think it really is, it’s not uncommon in the United States, about 1 in 3 men suffer from an eating disorder, 25 percent are straight men, and research shows that 10 to 20% of male athletes experience an eating disorder. This is a very low floor that athletes can go down when they pursue this high performance. In sports, where performance and body composition are linked, the risk can be even higher. I was looking for this perfection. David Proctor is one of England’s best racers. In 2004, he accepted a full-track scholarship to Boston University. I thought I could come to the States and take advantage of the facilities and see where my career would go. But at the start of his freshman year, he felt homesick and pressured to perfection. Fulness is a major driver of disordered eating. People who seek perfection usually do it in many areas, one is their sport but two is their body, their appearance. The coach’s opinion of his weight affected his body and the way he performed. I sometimes hesitate to tell the story because it makes him sound like a bad guy, and he’s not a bad guy. He just made a comment one day that I was possibly gaining some weight, and he kind of came over and punched me in the stomach, and he did it in a very casual way. And as soon as he said it, you’ll feel it coming at you from all angles. Proctor began restricting his diet. I completely stopped eating, and I’m sure I lost about 20 pounds in two weeks. The only feedback I got back was a kind of positive feedback loop where, well, you look better now. When Paula, a professor of nutrition at Boston University, came to speak to the track team about fueling and performance for athletes, David discussed his athletic goals in a meeting. I think she expected me to come in and ask how I could gain weight, and it was the complete opposite of what she thought I was asking for. He met with compassion and care for his body oil. It was a kind of conversational change. I can finish. I could die. Proctor’s recovery journey didn’t happen overnight. I would say things like, if I eat lunch today, I’m going to be very dangerous. I will be very fat. And he likes to prove me wrong. Prove me wrong. His experience highlighted a major issue in college athletics. Unfortunately, many athletes do not have the correct information they need to create a fueling plan that will truly improve their training and well-being. University. Quattron helped build a bridge between athletics and the Sergeant’s Choice Nutrition Center, a program at BU dedicated to providing nutrition information and programs to students. We have opened Pandora’s box. If you build it, they will come. Now BU athletes have access to two specialized sports dietitians. We will be doing team talk for various teams here at BU. We also offer individual counseling, so we work one-on-one with athletes to really work on any goals or nutrition-related issues. The university has also established a special fuel station among the sports facilities. Carbohydrate-rich snacks, protein sources, hydration support and recovery food, it is important to know what we should take into account when doing this. The station ensures that athletes have immediate access to the right nutrition. The goal is constant, especially when you’re in a season like we’re in right now. It’s just something that I think is very important and it’s going to get you, you know, beyond that limit, to be able to go on and play at your best. There you go. Now 40 years old, Proctor continues to compete at an elite level. It’s great to be strong and fueled and feel powerful until it’s just light and unbreakable, because you will eventually break. He still returned to Boston University to compete in a track where his middle distance records remain on display. This time we finished with the fastest time in the world that year. At the last BU meeting, he ran 405 in the mile, becoming the fastest British champion to complete the distance at the age of 40. But this is a big improvement. And Quattron was there cheering him on. At the height of his disordered eating, David told us he was looking for perfection. The only thing he can focus on is 140 pounds with 3% body fat. IF Y