“Those suffering from eating disorders have a name and a surname: words can hurt and have a different weight for each of us. Promoting a healthy sporting environment, based on respect and inclusion, supports young people to build a healthy relationship with themselves and each other, preventing the onset of an Eating Disorder”.

The Italian National Amateur League in collaboration with the association Animenta on the occasion of the National Day of the Lilac Ribbon, dedicated to eating disorders, has disseminated the Vademecum for the prevention of eating disorders (DCA) written by Dr. Valeria Galfano and Prof. Aldo Grauso, so that everyone can feel accepted and supported.

Why. Lilac Ribbon Day is highly symbolic, it was promoted in 2012 by the ‘Mi Nutro di Vita’ Association. The initiative was started by, Stefano Tavilla, who lost his daughter Giulia, only 17 years old, to anorexia and bulimia. Giulia was on a waiting list for admission to a facility but passed away on 15 March 2011. In 2018, the Presidency of the Council sanctioned this day to increase attention, information and awareness on the issue.

Those who suffer from eating disorders often suffer from bodyshaming, fatshaming, in short become victims of Bullying and Cyberbullying, a problem within problems. Unfortunately, there is a correlation between this phenomenon and Eating Disorders (EBD). This form of violence can in fact cause deep psychological suffering in those who suffer it, so much so that it contributes to the development of an eating disorder. It becomes both an expression of that pain and a defence mechanism against it. 65% of people with eating disorders also attribute their pathology to the bullying they experienced.

This is why the Italian National Amateur League and Animenta through the Social Responsibility Area illustrated the Manifesto against Bullying and the Vademecum for Eating Behaviour also to the boys of the Atletico 2000 sports club. It was an essential confrontation with the younger generations to address the issues of their time and teach them the importance of words that must never hurt anyone.

Data. There are more than 55 million people in the world and 3 million in Italy, the Istituto Superiore di Sanità has sketched a worrying picture in 2022: 9,000 users are in charge of 65% of the Centres surveyed; users ‘are predominantly female 90% compared to 10% males’, 58% of users are between 13 and 25 years old; 7% are under 12. Cases have increased by almost 40%. There is also a lowering of the age at which DCAs appear (under 14), and ‘the overall care burden of new cases and cases in treatment was found in 2020 to be 2,398,749 patients. Eating disorders such as, for example, anorexia, bulimia nervosa and ‘binge eating’ or uncontrolled eating disorder, represent a serious public health problem due to their onset at very early ages.