This case study explores the transition from disordered eating (DE) to an eating disorder (ED) in a 23-year-old female orienteer. Despite her talent as an athlete, her eating habits and training practices led to significant health concerns. After following an ovo-lacto vegetarian diet for 3 years, she exhibited symptoms of DE, including low energy intake (1,200 kcal/day), low body weight (50.1 kg, BMI: 16.9), and amenorrhea. Her condition deteriorated over 2 years, resulting in a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa (AN) by February 2023. During the treatment process, the athlete utilized a multidisciplinary approach that included dietitians, psychologists, and physicians. Despite achieving some initial progress, including a slight increase in body weight and the return of menstruation in July 2022, her health declined after psychological consultations were halted, leading to a further decrease in body fat and persistent low serum iron levels. This case highlights the importance of continuous monitoring, timely intervention, and a coordinated multidisciplinary team in addressing DE and ED in athletes. It also highlights the significance of effective communication among healthcare professionals and the need for comprehensive treatment strategies that include psychological, nutritional, and medical support. This study highlights the significance of early detection, suitable intervention, and the prevention of long-term health complications, such as decreased bone density and cardiovascular issues, in athletes with DE and ED.

Background: disordered eating (DE) and eating disorders (ED) can negatively impact athletes’ health, wellbeing, and athletic performance. Objective: this cross-sectional study aims to assess DE risk, body composition, and nutrition knowledge among elite Hungarian athletes. Methods: DE risk was assessed using DESA-6H and EAT-26 scales, nutrition knowledge through the Abridged Nutrition for Sport Knowledge Questionnaire (A-NSKQ), and body composition with the OMRON BF511 device. The data were analyzed using Kendall’s tau correlations, Mann–Whitney U tests, and ROC analysis. Results: a total of 71 athletes participated (39.4% males, mean age = 24.8 years, SD = 4.8 years and 60.6% females, mean age = 24.3 years, SD = 4.3 years). At-risk scores on the DESA-6H scale were recorded for nine athletes (12.7%), while 32.4% scored in the risk zone on the EAT-26, with female athletes in aesthetic, endurance and weight-dependent sports being most affected. Low BF was observed in four males and four females. Nutrition knowledge (49.1%) was below the acceptable threshold. DESA-6H significantly correlated with EAT-26 scores, BMI, sports nutrition knowledge, and A-NSKQ total scores. A statistically significant difference by gender was found in the EAT-26 total score (p = 0.019, d = 0.65). Risk groups significantly differed in A-NSKQ scores (p = 0.026, d = 0.511) and sport nutrition knowledge, specifically (p = 0.016, d = 0.491). Using EAT-26 to identify at-risk athletes and the DESA-6H recommended cut-off, the ROC analysis showed a sensitivity of 29.1% and a specificity of 95.7%. Conclusions: insufficient nutrition knowledge plays a role in being at-risk for DE and ED. These results underscore the need for early detection, early sport nutrition education across all elite athletes, with particular attention to female athletes in aesthetic, endurance and weight-dependent sports, and for monitoring these athletes to prevent DE. Further work is warranted to optimize screening tools such as EAT-26 and DESA-6H for elite athletes.

Background: Adequate nutrient intake is an essential part of athletes’ preparation, which results in more effective training adaptation, recovery, better body composition ratios, and improved sports performance. Inadequate nutrient intake or lack of knowledge can lead to disordered eating and eating disorders, the prevalence of which is higher among athletes than in the general population. In most cases, these unwanted outcomes occur because athletes do not seek the help of a qualified dietitian. According to a 2019 report by the International Olympic Committee, disordered eating and eating disorders’ point prevalence ranges from 6% to 45% in women and 0% to 19% in men. In Hungary, no athlete sample has been tested with screening questionnaires for eating disorders, and the development of reliable measurement tools for identifying this problem is also necessary. Objective: The aim of this study is to present the Hungarian version of the DESA-6 questionnaire (DESA-6H) for screening disordered eating among athletes and to investigate its convergent validity (CV), as well as to evaluate athletes’ nutritional behaviors based on comparative study results. Methods: The DESA-6H questionnaire was tested on elite athletes (n = 131) and recreational athletes (n = 123) aged 14 and older. Kendall’s tau-b correlation was used to establish the CV between the DESA-6H and the total EAT-26 score, as well as between the DESA-6H and the three subscales of the EAT-26. The same method was used to test the potential linear relationship between eating behavior questionnaires and weekly training hours. Chi-square tests were conducted to test the relationships between nominal variables. Differences between groups based on age and sport participation levels were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis H tests, and post-hoc analyses were conducted using Mann-Whitney U tests. Results: The CV analysis showed a significant positive correlation between the DESA-6H and the total EAT-26 score (τb = 0.49, p < 0.001), the EAT-26 Dieting subscale (τb = 0.53, p < 0.001), and the EAT-26 Bulimia subscale (τb = 0.39, p < 0.001). In the total sample, 20.4% scored above the threshold on the DESA-6H, while 40.1% scored above the threshold on the EAT-26. Among sports categories, the highest prevalence was found in aesthetic, weight-dependent, and endurance sports. A significant difference was observed in the DESA-6H scores based on gender (U = 4948.50, Z = –5.210, p < 0.001) and sports participation level (U = 6847.50, Z = –2.123, p = 0.034), with large (Cohen’s d = 0.68) and small ( Cohen’s d = 0.26) effect sizes. The Mann-Whitney U-test showed no significant difference between the 14–17-year-old and 18+ age groups in terms of DESA-6H scores (U = 6082.00, Z = –1.017, p = 0.309). No statistically significant differences were found between the two age groups on the EAT-26 scores either (U = 6490.00, Z = –0.220, p = 0.826). Overall, the statistical tests consistently supported the convergent validity of the DESA-6H when compared with the EAT-26. Conclusions: Based on the results of our research, it can be concluded that the DESA-6H questionnaire is a reliable tool for screening disordered eating among Hungarian athletes. Its application can help in the early detection and prevention of eating disorders.

Although there are studies on the effects of eating disorders (EDs) among athletes, a limited number of studies have been conducted in wrestling. This systematic review aims to identify the prevalence of eating disorders (ED) and disordered eating (DE) in wrestling, which is important for developing healthier weight control behaviours within the sport. A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA protocol, focusing on publications from the last 10 years. PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus and Web of Science were used to identify eligible studies with the searching terms “Eating disorders” AND “wrestlers” OR “Eating disorders” AND “wrestling” OR “Disordered eating” AND “wrestlers” OR “Disordered eating” AND “wrestling” OR “Anorexia Nervosa” AND “wrestlers” OR “Anorexia Nervosa” AND “wrestling” OR “Bulimia Nervosa” AND “wrestlers” OR “Bulimia Nervosa” AND “wrestling” within the timeframe from 2014 to 2024. Eight articles met the inclusion criteria. When all studies were considered as a homogeneous group, the analysis revealed: (a) wrestlers are significantly more susceptible to Eds than other branches, (b) wrestlers have unhealthy weight control behaviors to control weight for optimum performance and to enhance their muscular appearance due to body image issues. It is recommended that future research address eating disorders, which have predominantly been studied in male wrestlers, within female wrestlers as well. Additionally, it is advised to identify potential causes contributing to the elevated risk of eating disorders among wrestlers and to develop targeted prevention strategies.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine closely how mindful eating intervention influences the eating behavior of a kickboxer 10 days before the competition. Methods: A mindful intervention was conducted. A mixed method was used, in which data was collected from two semi-structured interviews and four scales [Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ), and Mindful Eating Scale (MEQ-30)]. The first semi-structured interview and four scales were administered before the intervention process, and the last interview was conducted after the competition. 10 days before the competition, 10 sessions of “mindful raisin eating” exercise, each lasting 10 min, were performed. The scores obtained from the scales were calculated manually. The data collected from semi-structured interviews were analyzed using the descriptive analysis method. Results: According to the administered 4 scales initially, the athlete’s average scores were (X̄=16) on the Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26), (X̄=3.125) on the “shape concern” sub-dimension of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), (X̄=4) on the Emotional Eating sub-dimension of the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ), and (X̄=2.5) on both the “awareness” and “eating control” sub-dimensions of the Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ-30). Qualitative data showed, positive improvements were detected in eating attitudes and behaviors, stress management, perceived performance, and body image, respectively. During the mindful eating exercises, she lost approximately 2.4 kg (~3.9% of her body weight) without experiencing stress on weigh-in day. She also reported that focusing on mindful eating helped her avoid unhealthy foods and made her feel safe and calm. Conclusion: It was stated by the athlete that there were positive improvements in eating attitudes and behaviors, level of coping with stress, perceived performance and body perception.

Nutrition knowledge is essential for optimizing performance, recovery, and overall health in athletes. This study aimed to (1) adapt and validate the Hungarian version of the ANSKQ (Trakman et al., 2017) (ANSKQ-HU) and (2) assess the nutrition knowledge of Hungarian elite and recreational athletes. Following standard translation procedures and expert review, face validity was established. Data were collected from 1.335 athletes, and item difficulty, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and reliability analyses were performed. A three-factor structure emerged: (1) Fundamentals of nutrition, energy needs, and prohibited substances; (2) Micronutrients and performance-enhancing sports nutrition; and (3) Utilization of macronutrients. While Cronbach’s alpha values were low (α = 0.41–0.62), this seemed acceptable given the dichotomous nature of the questionnaire. Most participants scored poorly (63.3%), with the lowest results in the micronutrients and performance-enhancing nutrition factor. Only 6.9% had formal nutrition education and most frequently respondents received help from coaches, family members, and friends. These findings highlight a significant gap in sports nutrition knowledge among Hungarian athletes and support the need for educative activities organized by sport nutrition professionals. The ANSKQ-HU is a reliable and valid tool for assessing nutrition knowledge in Hungarian athletes and can be a useful questionnaire for their support team (nutritionists, physicians).

A Disordered Eating Screen For Athletes magyar változata (DESA-6H) konvergens validitásának vizsgálata – Egy pilot study eredményei [Convergent validity of the Hungarian version of the Disordered Eating Screen For Athletes (DESA-6H) – Results of a pilot study] Mentálhigiéné és Pszichoszomatika, 26(3), 123–137. https://doi.org/10.1556/0406.2025.00074 A fenti cikk Mellékletében másolási hiba folytán két kérdés nem megfelelően jelent meg. A 136. oldalon a kérdések felsorolásánál a 2. kérdés két válaszlehetőség sorrendjét felcseréltük.

Eating behavior and its disorders in sport are closely related to the development of sports nutrition and exercise physiology, as well as to performance and body ideal expectations placed on athletes. Since the late 1970s, eating disorders have received increasing public health attention, which has also extended to athletic populations. The aim of this phenomenon-centered, thematic narrative literature review is to illustrate the forms and consequences of disordered eating behaviors and eating disorders in athletic populations across different sport contexts, based on international literature published between 1980 and 2000. Based on the reviewed studies, disordered eating behaviors and eating disorders are multifactorial origin, with biological, psychological, sociocultural, and sport-specific factors all playing a role in their development. The concept of the female athlete triad proved to be a milestone; however, the involvement of male athletes has also been confirmed, particularly in weight-class and aesthetic sports. However, it should be emphasized that athlete status in itself does not uniformly imply an increased risk. Primary prevention, early detection, and multidisciplinary care are fundamentally important in preserving athletes’ health. Orv Hetil. 2026; 167(19): 746–752.