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Anorexia Athletica: Compulsive Exercising
By Dr. Randi Fredricks, Ph.D.
We've all heard of the common eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, and most likely known
or will know someone who suffers from an eating disorder. A new disorder, however,
has begun to emerge, and although it is not yet a recognized diagnosis, it is equally dangerous and carries its own
consequences. This new disorder is called anorexia athletica, or compulsive exercising. A person suffering from anorexia
athletica exercises for an amount of time or an intensity that is beyond normal. This person will exercise compulsively
in an attempt to control weight in a misguided attempt to gain a sense of power, control, and self-respect.
Anorexia athletica is not a recognized diagnosis in the same way that anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder are.
However, many people who are preoccupied with food and weight, exercise compulsively in attempts to control weight in a
misguided attempt to gain a sense of power, control, and self-respect.
Symptoms of Anorexia Athletica
- Exercising beyond the requirements for good health
- Being fanatical about weight and diet
- Stealing time from work, school, and relationships to exercise
- Focusing on challenge and forgetting that physical activity can be fun
- Defining self-worth in terms of performance
- Rarely or never being satisfied with athletic achievements
- Always pushing on to the next challenge
- Justifying excessive behaviour by defining self as an athlete or insisting that their behaviour is healthy
Anorexia athletica is an addiction to exercise. With anorexia athletica, a person no longer enjoys exercise, but feels
obligated to do so.compulsive exercising A victim, most prominently a female between the ages of 12 and 19, may
experience a sense of guilt and anxiety when missing a work out, and not even sickness or injury can stop him/her
from fulfilling the need for exercise.
People who exercise compulsively are commonly talented athletes, and view their self-worth by athletic achievement.
So, it stands to reason that people who compulsively exercise have control of their bodies, and are amazing athletes?
In contrast, the people who live to work out are the ones who can't keep their eyes open in class, are constantly
feeling depressed and are anxious about what they're eating for dinner. They can't perform in sports because they
are damaging their bodies, and when small injuries aren't allowed to heal, the harm can be severe. Even more seriously,
extreme exercise can place stress on the heart, and along with unhealthy eating disorders, can result in depression
and even death.
Anorexia athletica is just as serious as anorexia nervosa (compulsive weight loss) and bulimia nervosa
(the binge and purge syndrome), and usually the diseases go hand-in-hand with one another. Since anorexia athletica
is the newest disorder being recognized and researched, there is no official diagnosis of the disease.
Although this disorder is most often recognized in competitive athletes, it can affect anyone with a preoccupation with
weight, exercise and/or diet.
About the Author
Dr. Randi Fredricks, Ph.D. is a psychotherapist and author specializing in the treatment of mental health using integrative medicine and natural therapies.
She works with individuals, couples, and families at her office in San Jose, California and is the founder of All Things Well, a certified provider of
The Listening Program.
Dr. Fredricks' publications
include the landmark book
Healing & Wholeness: Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Mental Health.
No part of this article may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of
Dr. Randi Fredricks as articles often present the published results of the research of other professionals. Copyright © 2012.
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