My Research Question is:

How Do Eating Disorders Affect the Mental and Physical Aspects of Female High School Athletes?

I chose to do my Academic Research

Project on how eating disorders affect the mental and physical aspects of a female high school athlete. I wanted to research eating disorders in depth and the signs and symptoms of them. Also, I wanted to explore why eating disorders affect female athletes and how it influences their body and mind. Additionally, I wanted to research what causes eating disorders, specifically in female athletes. My ARP allowed me to research a mental illness that occurs in female athletes in high school, so I could bring awareness to the problem. I was able to further my research by working with Dr. Jamie Taylor, an eating disorder specialist and with my mentor Sophia Kopicki. I wanted to research a mental illness that is not talked about in today's society, but is prominent in female high school athletes.

Eating Disorders are not a popular, well- known topic throughout the high school girls' athletic community. I want to bring awareness to this common illness among high school girl athletes. Awareness of this issue can help parents, coaches, and teachers know the risks and signs of eating disorders. This can help create a positive environment at home, on the field, and at school. In order to help female athletes be successful, yet healthy, it is essential to raise awareness about a rarely talked about mental illness. I want to bring awareness to eating disorders because most people are not educated on this topic or choose to ignore this mental illness. Today, it is more common for high school girl athletes to have an eating disorder than in the past. I hope that by bringing awareness to eating disorders, it could potentially help save someone's life.

This website will help educate and bring awareness to eating disorders among high school female athletes, so that coaches, parents, teachers, and athletes can be aware of the signs and risks of eating disorders. Making people aware of eating disorders in female high school athletes could help prevent an eating disorder from developing too far or possibly prevent one in the first place. I hope that educating people on this topic will help end the stigma around eating disorders and allow female athletes to voice any concerns to adults in their lives. This website should be able to help people become more aware of the signs and symptoms of eating disorders in female athletes. It is my hope that this website's information and resources can help reach female athletes dealing with an eating disorder and help the adults working with these female athletes recognize the warning signs in order to help them.