Eating disorders in athletes don’t usually start with food — they start quietly in the mind, in identity, and in the pressure-cooker of performance, comparison, and control. In this episode, Stephanie Matre speaks directly to parents, coaches, clinicians, faith leaders, and athletes about the often-missed warning signs, why “high performing” doesn’t mean “healthy,” and how to start hard conversations that actually keep the door open.
You’ll also hear a Catholic lens on the body as gift (not a project), a sober look at social media and recruiting pressure, and how Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can complement Western care by reading patterns in the “body story.”
In this episode, we cover:
Why eating disorders in athletes often develop slowly and silently—long before physical signs show up
How sports can build virtue and resilience, but also create vulnerability when identity shifts from “I live in my body” to “my body is a project”
Why performance is a misleading indicator: eating disorders can look like “discipline,” “focus,” or “mental toughness” at first
Early red flags parents often miss because they’re subtle—and sometimes socially rewarded
The food and meal-time warning signs:
Increasing rigidity around food
Cutting out major food groups without medical need
“Clean/earned/burned” moral language around food
Anxiety at meals, pushing food around, tiny bites, avoiding family meals, “I already ate”
Training/movement red flags:
Panic when workouts are missed
Exercising to “deserve” food
Secret extra workouts
Training through injury/illness
Inability to rest without guilt
Psychological shifts that can signal deeper trouble:
Perfectionism and black-and-white thinking
Anxiety or emotional numbness
Irritability
Obsession with numbers (macros, calories, steps, rankings, watches, metrics)
Physical signs that get dismissed in athletes:
Frequent injuries, stress fractures
Sleep disruption
Digestive complaints
Cold intolerance
Hormonal disruption or missed periods (and why this should not be normalized)
How eating disorders can overlap with OCD traits: when control becomes the “soothing” drug
Social media + recruiting pressure: the “constant mirror,” comparison culture, and digitized performance metrics
How to talk to teens without shutting them down:
Avoid body comments (even “positive” ones)
Lead with curiosity and specific observations
Stay regulated, consistent, and present
Remember: denial is often fear, not defiance
TCM perspective: treating patterns (not labels) and how restriction/binge-purge/overtraining can show up in different body systems
Faith and recovery: why “just pray more” can become spiritual bypassing—and what true encounter looks like
A powerful reminder: early support saves lives and no performance is worth a soul
Important Note (from the episode)
This podcast is not medical advice and does not diagnose or replace professional care. If you suspect an eating disorder, seek qualified medical and mental health support immediately.
Resources & Next Steps
If this episode stirred something in you, don’t ignore it. Presence heals more than pressure — and early action matters.
Go deeper with Stephanie inside:
The Pulse Project Food Addiction Recovery Course
The supportive Catholic recovery community: The Ember Loft
Visit www.shinerising.com/membership
to learn more and find support.
