Eating Disorders in Formula One and How To Spot it Yourself

Tucked amonest the news headlines and race resuts was this, "F1 driver admits he starved himself so badly he had to be treated in hospital after team bosses urge race stars to lose weigh" (Daily Mail 7th April 2014). Jean-Eric Vergne admitted that he was admitted to hospital after the opening race in Australia after a strict weight loss regieme ordered by his Toro Rosso team to comply with the new strict FIA ruling on the total weight of driver and car combined.

The drivers have criticised that FIA that the minmum 692 kg is far too low. Tall drivers like Adrian Sutil will refuse to drive races without a water bottle, risking his health with the high hidimities in the car. 

Nico Rosberg has started dieting to keep his edge, 'I had to make the sacrifice if I want to balance the car perfectly,' he said. 'The diet alone is easy, but training with little food is hell,' Rosberg told Germany's Bild am Sonntag. 'I have eaten no sugar since early December -- for my dream I'm living like a monk'.

This is however nothing new, the increase of eating disorders in males are on the increase due to pressure of society on our lives. Eating disorders are the same as mental disorders - they do not discriminate between gender, race, etc. A high protion of men do not reconise or seek help for them so the statitstics on men is as consistants as women, where it is more reconised quicker and more treatment geared towards.

If you answer two or more 'yes' below then it is recommended to see you GP (Take from NHs Choices website and will be the same that they will use):

• Sick: Do you ever make yourself sick because you feel uncomfortably full?
• Control: Do you worry you have lost control over how much you eat?
• One stone: Have you recently lost more than one stone (six kilograms) in a three-month period?
• Fat: Do you believe yourself to be fat when others say you are too thin?
• Food: Would you say that food dominates your life?

 What to look for in people you are concerned about

• missing meals
• complaining of being fat, even though they have a normal weight or are underweight
• repeatedly weighing themselves and looking at themselves in the mirror
• making repeated claims that they have already eaten, or they will shortly be going out to eat somewhere else
• cooking big or complicated meals for other people, but eating little or none of the food themselves
• only eating certain low-calorie foods in your presence, such as lettuce or celery
• feeling uncomfortable or refusing to eat in public places, such as a restaurant
• the use of "pro-anorexia" websites

You can also talk in confidence to an adviser from eating disorders charity Beat by calling their helpline on 0845 634 1414. They also have a designated youth helpline on 0845 634 7650. There is also MGEDT (Men Get Eating Disorders Too!) http://mengetedstoo.co.uk/ that offer help and advice for men.

 From 12th May is also Mental Health Awareness Week where I will be looking at Mental Health and sharing my own experiances.