Summary: The Female Athlete Triad

The first factor I will mention about the FAT (Female Athlete Triad) is the notion of low energy availability. It is my opinion that this factor plays a major role in the other two factors. When the talk of low energy availability is brought up, it is mainly talking about nutrition. Though many cases of FAT have been recorded with a female with an eating disorder, not having an eating disorder doesn’t mean you don’t exhibit a chance to have FAT. There are three main eating disorders that would lower an athlete’s energy levels. The first one is Anorexia Nervosa. This disorder could be defined as an unwanting to eat food. For the most part, these people are obsessed on losing weight. So much so that they will starve themselves on the point of

That is because most of the women who have it, don’t even realize they do. It happens when looking “fit” is more important than actually being healthy. Do the women who have this do it on purpose? No, not necessarily. But I believe that there should be some way for athletes to be screen for this condition. And those who are diagnosed, they need to get help. According to Whitlock, “With the new definition, all three components need not be present for a diagnosis of female athlete triad. Studies using the 1992 definition of the disorder demonstrated a prevalence of 1% to 4% in athletes”(2015). This is the same definition that is used today so its relevance is intact. The women with malnutrition issues should be put on monitored diet regimes. If this malnutrition comes from an eating disorder, they should get the psychiatric help and rehabilitation they need to better themselves both mentally and physically. Of course, treatment for each individual will be different, but recognition is the first step. My family worries about me being an athlete with an extremely heavy load, so this topic hits home. In all, the Female Athlete Triad is a condition that affects the