Amber Trotter made headlines last weekend by crushing the best high school cross country competition in the nation, winning the Foot Locker title by more than 40 seconds with her record 16-minute, 24-second performance. For that, most people would lionize her. Face it, she's a total stud, and there isn't a college coach in the country who wouldn't want her to walk on to the team.

But fast running is not the only quality that is worth lionizing in our sport. Real character and real courage are shown by the athlete's actions after the finish line. And for that, Amber Trotter is a true hero. She told awaiting reporters of the troubles she has had with eating disorders. It's something she has mentioned before; she's not a shy one.

Trotter is, however, very well-spoken. And if her words change one life out there, then her contribution makes any record-breaking time she runs pale in comparison. As she told DyeStat: "I began developing an eating disorder late fall of my sophomore year, I guess; and no, I did not realize what was happening. The reasons are complex and numerous and I'm still struggling to understand.

"Teenage eating disorders are becoming increasingly and alarmingly prevalent in first world nations, and I feel that cultural pressure had a good deal to do with my disorder. From infancy we are bombarded with images of anorexic-looking women and given the message that that is how we are supposed to appear. My obsessive-compulsive personality, running and family issues probably all contributed."

Trotter noted that initially the lost weight enhanced both her running and her self-esteem. However, she had yet to see the damage the disorder caused. As most victims do, she lived in denial. Even after she got medical treatment, she still would sneak out to run at night against her doctor's orders. Finally, in her only track race of last spring, she realized just how weak she had become.

The 5-foot-7 Californian gives the appearance of being completely in control now, but she is quick to caution that she is not "cured." "It's been a process of rebuilding ever since," she said.

Suffering in silence
In all my years of covering the sport and interviewing female athletes, I can't remember more than a few of them making such an admission to me. Yet eating disorders among female distance runners are far more common than most realize. Understandably, no athlete is proud of it, but communicating about the problem and its treatment is essential to saving others from its ravaging effects.

Many champion females have disappeared from the sport prematurely because of their struggles with eating. Rumor has it that in some college programs eating disorders are so predictable they are considered a rite of passage. An NCAA study ranked cross country No. 2 among college sports reporting eating disorders.

In one college program I know, the head coach (a female, incidentally) would conduct weigh-ins at the start of the cross country season for her female distance runners. One veteran of that program told me that she had been hospitalized with anorexia after her weight dropped below 90 pounds. Her mother brought her mail to the hospital, and among it was a form letter from her coach, asking her to drop an additional five pounds before the season started, to maximize the team's chance for success.

Do lighter athletes run faster? Temporarily, some do. But the intensive strain of running requires an ample flow of fuel-calories. The body that does not get enough fuel is being starved, and the long-term effects of such starvation are devastating physically and mentally. My observation of such runners at the national level is that they are good for a season or two before they disappear.

The trade-off is simply not worth it, especially when one considers that the recovery process can take many years. And unfortunately, not everyone recovers. According to Dr. David Rosen of the University of Michigan, eating disorders kill more people than all of the other mental illnesses combined, including depression.

No female runner should be on a diet to lose weight. Any coach who advises a weight loss diet should not be in the business. Encouraging an athlete to eliminate junk food -- that's good. Coercing them into eliminating needed calories is reprehensible. And remember, it doesn't take much to coerce a teenage woman on this subject. One insensitive comment can do it. Young women are constantly bombarded by messages that they do not have perfect bodies, and that our society values physical perfection above all else. In the United States, we spend approximately $50 billion a year on losing weight.

Coaches and athletes need to learn more
Running does not cause eating disorders, but an emphasis on weight loss as a performance enhancer can lead to the development of eating disorders among athletes -- male or female -- who might be predisposed to such problems.

A friend wrote me last summer to share his experience that a coach of teenage women has to know as much about psychology as about the sport. He couldn't have been more right. It is the duty of the coach to become educated not only in eating disorders and how to spot them, but in the underlying self-esteem issues. The sport of running can go a long way to contributing to the self-esteem of young women, but only if it is properly taught, with an emphasis on health, fun and confidence-building.

One book I recommend without hesitation is "Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls," by Mary Pipher. The pressures teenage girls face are unimaginable to many adults, and it's only getting rougher out there. Pipher outlines the many challenges girls face as they struggle to maintain their individuality while constantly being told to conform. She also offers useful insights into how girls can resist those pressures.

Another essential book is "The Athletic Woman's Survival Guide: How to Win the Battle Against Eating Disorders, Amenorrhea and Osteoporosis," by Carol Otis and Roger Goldingay. It explains how eating disorders tie in with unusual menstrual cycles and bone loss, a confluence that is now called the Female Athlete Triad.

Veteran coaches and athletes who read this will often experience the big light bulb effect when they realize why so many female distance runners have been plagued with stress fractures. Coaches can do much to limit stress fractures by moderating training and insisting that their athletes train on soft surfaces, but the real solution is a nutritional one.

It's considered a national health crisis that eight out of 10 teenage girls don't get enough calcium and thus put themselves at risk for early osteoporosis. For runners, stress fractures are a common result of this deficiency, which can be greatly compounded by the other parts of the triad.

If you or someone you know is dealing with any of these issues, consider a visit to the Web site of the National Eating Disorders Association (www.edap.org), which can yield some very helpful information.

Solutions are there
Congratulations to Trotter, who is undergoing treatment for her eating disorder and is brave enough to share her experiences with other young women. She describes her path as, "A painful and long process with many setbacks. I'm still not over it, but I am working with a nutritionist and psychologist who specializes in eating disorders. I'm working on behavior modification and trying to get in 3,000 calories a day. My coach, family and friends have been unbelievably supportive."

If her words can inspire others to seek help, then Trotter's victory becomes so much bigger than a mere 5,000-meter race.

Jeff Hollobaugh, former managing editor of Track and Field News, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com. He can be reached by e-mail at michtrack@aol.com.