What Coaches Say Impacts Athletes’ Relationship with Food and Body

Coaches are extremely influential in their athletes’ lives. Research shows that coaches can impact athletes’ performance, their self-confidence, their motivation, how they understand support, and how they view themselves.

Coaches are extremely influential in their athletes’ lives. Research shows that coaches can impact athletes’ performance, their self-confidence, their motivation, how they understand support, and how they view themselves. Coaches can promote and encourage healthy and appropriate relationships with food, body, and physical activity by:

• Refraining from commenting on an athlete’s appearance and weight
• Replacing negative weight/body talk with praise about effort of skill
• Talking about food as fuel that provides energy to play well
• Being a role model for athletes by showcasing healthy, balanced eating behaviors & positive body image.

“Coaches have the power to help prevent disordered eating & combat the body image ideal upheld within the sport culture.” Arthur-Cameselle & Baltzell, 2012

Research also shows that coaches can negatively influence athletes’ body images and eating behaviors.

• Coach communication involving body comparisons, critical comments, and unspecific, harmful expectations can increase the likelihood that an athlete develops an eating disorder
• “Performance-related & body weight preoccupied coaching styles increase dieting, body image anxiety, and fear of fatness in athletes.”
• Coaches can perpetuate harmful body image ideals

Learn more about suggested phrases coaches can say to help young athletes establish healthy relationships with food &body here.

Download a PDF of this document to share with the coaches in your life here.

For a deeper dive, visit the National Eating Disorders Association Website here.