Exercise Caution: Questions to Ask Adolescents Who May Exercise Too Hard

Abstract

When the primary goal of exercise is to compensate for food intake and to alter body shape and weight, it is considered compulsive and may be harmful. Compulsive exercise (CE) is important in the pathogenesis of eating disorders (EDs). Many healthy adolescents engage in CE too, and this may indicate a risk for EDs. Our aim was to learn more about ED risk factors tied to CE and to try to isolate questions to ask in order to probe for high ED risk in adolescents engaging in CE. Using two well-established instruments (the Structural Analysis of Social Behavior and the Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire), we studied associations between ED variables and CE in healthy adolescent boys and girls. We examined gender-specific items to generate the best possible fit for each gender. Individuals with CE displayed significantly greater ED pathology and more self-criticism, and this pattern was stronger in girls than in boys. Risk factors for ED among individuals with CE differed slightly for boys and girls. We put forward a set of gender-specific questions that may be helpful when probing for ED risk among adolescents engaging in CE.

Body image and health-related behaviors among fitspirit participants

“…The aspiration to reduce body size has been associated with obesity-related behaviors such as poor sleep [ 16 ] and low consumption of fruits and vegetables [ 17 ]. BSD has also been shown to behave as both a motivation and barrier to PA [ 18 , 19 ]. For example, it has been reported that individuals with a high BSD may avoid opportunities to exhibit their bodies in a public setting or be exposed to weight criticism during PA [ 18 ].…”

“…For example, it has been reported that individuals with a high BSD may avoid opportunities to exhibit their bodies in a public setting or be exposed to weight criticism during PA [ 18 ]. In contrast, it has been shown that some adolescent girls may engage in PA to improve or maintain a desired physical appearance [ 19 ]. Body size satisfaction may positively influence health behaviors in this population and protect against harmful weight control practices [ 20 ].…”