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Episode 9: Eating Disorders and Athletes
Eating disorders in athletes don’t always show up as obvious weight loss.
Often, the mental and emotional roots begin long before the physical signs appear—and by the time the body is clearly struggling, families are already facing a steep uphill battle.
In today’s episode of The Pulse Project Podcast, Stephanie Matre shares a candid, parent-centered conversation about the taboo reality of eating disorders in sport, why athletes can hide them so well, and how parents can spot early red flags before performance drops or health declines. We talk about the pressure cooker of modern youth athletics—social media, recruiting, rankings, and constant comparison—and we weave in Catholic truth about the body as a gift to be stewarded, not a project to control.
This is not an episode to multitask through. If you’re a parent of a teen athlete (or coach, clinician, or mentor), you may want to listen more than once.
In this episode, we cover:
Why eating disorders in athletes are often missed
Eating disorders can look like “discipline,” “mental toughness,” and “commitment”
Many athletes keep performing well—until the body can’t keep up
Why performance does not equal health
Early warning signs parents should watch for
Increasing rigidity around food
Cutting out food groups without medical reason (“no carbs,” “no bread,” etc.)
Moral language about food (“clean,” “bad,” “earned,” “burn it off”)
Anxiety, irritability, or unusual behavior at meals
Avoiding family meals / eating alone
“I already ate” becoming a frequent pattern
Subtle changes in how your teen eats (pushing food around, tiny bites, shoveling, rushing)
Training and movement red flags
Panic or distress when workouts are missed
Exercise used to “deserve” food
Training through injury or illness
Inability to rest without guilt
Secret extra workouts (including in bedrooms at night)
The perfectionism + OCD/control connection
Why many athletes with eating disorders are rule-followers, not impulsive
How compulsions escalate (“moving goalposts”)
The brain’s reward loop: anxiety → ritual/control → temporary relief
Why “control” becomes the drug, regardless of the eating disorder subtype
The social media + college pressure problem
Constant comparison and digitized performance metrics
Recruiting pressure, rankings, and “power index” culture
Why social media intensifies body surveillance (even under “healthy” content)
The toll of living in a nervous system that is never off
How to talk to your teen without shutting them down
What not to do: body comments (even “positive” ones), threats, logic battles, surveillance
What to do instead: curiosity, observations (not accusations), calm consistency
Why teens’ denial is often fear—not defiance
How to stay regulated so your child isn’t carrying your emotional weight
A Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) lens
Why TCM focuses on patterns, not labels
How similar eating behaviors can reflect different underlying patterns
Examples discussed: Spleen/Liver patterns, Stomach Heat, Yin deficiency, Kidney depletion/overtraining
Why TCM can be a helpful adjunct alongside Western treatment
Catholic theology woven through recovery
The body as gift, not commodity
Discipline as virtue vs. control as bondage
Redemptive suffering (and why “just pray more” isn’t real accompaniment)
Healing faith: “God isn’t disappointed in you. Your body isn’t the enemy. Getting help isn’t a lack of faith."
The Pulse Project Podcast is for educational and spiritual formation purposes only and is not a substitute for medical diagnosis, treatment, or professional healthcare. Nothing in this episode should be interpreted as medical, psychological, or nutritional advice, nor does it create a patient-provider relationship. Always seek the guidance of a qualified physician, licensed mental health professional, or emergency medical services for any concerns about your physical or mental health. If you are experiencing a medical or psychiatric emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department immediately. The views shared in this podcast reflect personal experience, research, and Catholic teaching, and are not meant to replace individualized care.
To learn more, click the link below to check out The Ember Loft where you'll find likeminded women walking the path of recovery together with the Pulse Project program.
https://www.shinerising.com/membership
View all episodes
By Stephanie MattreyEating disorders in athletes don’t always show up as obvious weight loss.
Often, the mental and emotional roots begin long before the physical signs appear—and by the time the body is clearly struggling, families are already facing a steep uphill battle.
In today’s episode of The Pulse Project Podcast, Stephanie Matre shares a candid, parent-centered conversation about the taboo reality of eating disorders in sport, why athletes can hide them so well, and how parents can spot early red flags before performance drops or health declines. We talk about the pressure cooker of modern youth athletics—social media, recruiting, rankings, and constant comparison—and we weave in Catholic truth about the body as a gift to be stewarded, not a project to control.
This is not an episode to multitask through. If you’re a parent of a teen athlete (or coach, clinician, or mentor), you may want to listen more than once.
In this episode, we cover:
Why eating disorders in athletes are often missed
Eating disorders can look like “discipline,” “mental toughness,” and “commitment”
Many athletes keep performing well—until the body can’t keep up
Why performance does not equal health
Early warning signs parents should watch for
Increasing rigidity around food
Cutting out food groups without medical reason (“no carbs,” “no bread,” etc.)
Moral language about food (“clean,” “bad,” “earned,” “burn it off”)
Anxiety, irritability, or unusual behavior at meals
Avoiding family meals / eating alone
“I already ate” becoming a frequent pattern
Subtle changes in how your teen eats (pushing food around, tiny bites, shoveling, rushing)
Training and movement red flags
Panic or distress when workouts are missed
Exercise used to “deserve” food
Training through injury or illness
Inability to rest without guilt
Secret extra workouts (including in bedrooms at night)
The perfectionism + OCD/control connection
Why many athletes with eating disorders are rule-followers, not impulsive
How compulsions escalate (“moving goalposts”)
The brain’s reward loop: anxiety → ritual/control → temporary relief
Why “control” becomes the drug, regardless of the eating disorder subtype
The social media + college pressure problem
Constant comparison and digitized performance metrics
Recruiting pressure, rankings, and “power index” culture
Why social media intensifies body surveillance (even under “healthy” content)
The toll of living in a nervous system that is never off
How to talk to your teen without shutting them down
What not to do: body comments (even “positive” ones), threats, logic battles, surveillance
What to do instead: curiosity, observations (not accusations), calm consistency
Why teens’ denial is often fear—not defiance
How to stay regulated so your child isn’t carrying your emotional weight
A Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) lens
Why TCM focuses on patterns, not labels
How similar eating behaviors can reflect different underlying patterns
Examples discussed: Spleen/Liver patterns, Stomach Heat, Yin deficiency, Kidney depletion/overtraining
Why TCM can be a helpful adjunct alongside Western treatment
Catholic theology woven through recovery
The body as gift, not commodity
Discipline as virtue vs. control as bondage
Redemptive suffering (and why “just pray more” isn’t real accompaniment)
Healing faith: “God isn’t disappointed in you. Your body isn’t the enemy. Getting help isn’t a lack of faith."
The Pulse Project Podcast is for educational and spiritual formation purposes only and is not a substitute for medical diagnosis, treatment, or professional healthcare. Nothing in this episode should be interpreted as medical, psychological, or nutritional advice, nor does it create a patient-provider relationship. Always seek the guidance of a qualified physician, licensed mental health professional, or emergency medical services for any concerns about your physical or mental health. If you are experiencing a medical or psychiatric emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department immediately. The views shared in this podcast reflect personal experience, research, and Catholic teaching, and are not meant to replace individualized care.
To learn more, click the link below to check out The Ember Loft where you'll find likeminded women walking the path of recovery together with the Pulse Project program.
https://www.shinerising.com/membership