Many youth athletes quietly struggle with eating disorders – Colorado mandates new training that could turn things around

Colorado now requires youth coaches to attend mental health training covering anxiety, depression and suicide prevention, under a law passed after a young athlete's death. Erin Harrop, writing for The Conversation, argues the training should also cover eating disorders, noting research links coaching pressure around weight to elevated risk among young athletes. Colorado officials estimate eating disorders affect about nine percent of residents and cost the state over one billion dollars a year in healthcare and lost productivity. The author, an eating disorder clinician herself, says expanding the mandate could help coaches spot and support at-risk athletes earlier.

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