Running and anorexia nervosa: An empirical study

Abstract

It has been suggested that long‐distance runners may show characteristics similar to those of patients suffering from anorexia nervosa. The present study attempted to obtain objective data pertaining to this issue by circulating to female marathon runners a questionnaire known to relate to personality characteristics associated with anorexia nervosa. On the scale of “Perfectionism” assessed by the questionnaire, the runners did indeed resemble anorexic patients in their scores. However, unlike the anorexic patients, runners did not appear to suffer as a result; their “Dissatisfaction” scores resembled those of normal individuals. It is concluded that, although superficial similarities exist between anorexics and runners, these do not reflect similarities at a more fundamental, causal level.

Relationships between exercise behaviour, eating‐disordered behaviour and quality of life in a community sample of women: when is exercise ‘excessive’?

“…The finding that there was no relationship between obligatory exercise behaviour and reduced quality of life independent of the effects of eating disorder psychopathology is consistent with the findings of Owens and Slade (1987), who reported that while female marathon runners resembled AN patients with respect to scores on a measure of perfectionism, high levels of perfectionism were associated with elevated levels of dissatisfaction only in the AN sample. Similarly, Hubbard, Gray, and Parker (1998) found that while scores on subscales of the EDI were elevated among individuals who exercised primarily for 'food-related' reasons, levels of depression were not elevated in this subgroup, relative to the remainder of the sample.…”

Relationships between exercise behaviour, eating‐disordered behaviour and quality of life in a community sample of women: when is exercise ‘excessive’?

“…The finding that there was no relationship between obligatory exercise behaviour and reduced quality of life independent of the effects of eating disorder psychopathology is consistent with the findings of Owens and Slade (1987), who reported that while female marathon runners resembled AN patients with respect to scores on a measure of perfectionism, high levels of perfectionism were associated with elevated levels of dissatisfaction only in the AN sample. Similarly, Hubbard, Gray, and Parker (1998) found that while scores on subscales of the EDI were elevated among individuals who exercised primarily for 'food-related' reasons, levels of depression were not elevated in this subgroup, relative to the remainder of the sample.…”

Disordered eating patterns in competitive female athletes

“…The competitive female cross-country runner actually may be at slightly less risk for body dissatisfaction than her nonathlete counterpart, whereas the gymnast may be at somewhat greater risk for weight preoccupation. Although similar to the findings of some studies of elite female athletes (Owens & Slade, 1987;Weight & Noakes, 1986), our results diverge from those of other researchers (Clark et al, 1988;Rosen et al, 1986), who found greater evidence of pathogenic eating. Perhaps differing measurement strategies in part explain this discrepancy.…”

Reliability and Factor Validity of a Farsi Version of the Positive and Negative Perfectionism Scale

“…Perfectionism is neurotic when an individual has unrealistic expectations and is never satisfied with his or others' performance (Hamachek, 1978). Hamachek's (1978) dichotomy is similar to the distinction drawn by Slade and colleagues (Slade, 1982;Slade & Dewey, 1986;Owens & Slade, 1987;Slade, Dewey, Kiemle, & Newton, 1990) between satisfied and dissatisfied perfectionists, on the basis of perceived consequences. Further factor analytic studies have provided support for conceptualizing perfectionism as being composed of positive and negative dimensions (Frost, et al, 1993;Slaney, Ashby, & Trippi, 1995;Terry-Short, Owens, Slade, & Dewey, 1995;Ashby, Kottman, & Schoen, 1998;Rice, Ashby, & Slaney, 1998;Suddarth & Slaney, 2001).…”

Relationships between exercise behaviour, eating‐disordered behaviour and quality of life in a community sample of women: when is exercise ‘excessive’?

“…The finding that there was no relationship between obligatory exercise behaviour and reduced quality of life independent of the effects of eating disorder psychopathology is consistent with the findings of Owens and Slade (1987), who reported that while female marathon runners resembled AN patients with respect to scores on a measure of perfectionism, high levels of perfectionism were associated with elevated levels of dissatisfaction only in the AN sample. Similarly, Hubbard, Gray, and Parker (1998) found that while scores on subscales of the EDI were elevated among individuals who exercised primarily for 'food-related' reasons, levels of depression were not elevated in this subgroup, relative to the remainder of the sample.…”

Disordered eating patterns in competitive female athletes

“…The competitive female cross-country runner actually may be at slightly less risk for body dissatisfaction than her nonathlete counterpart, whereas the gymnast may be at somewhat greater risk for weight preoccupation. Although similar to the findings of some studies of elite female athletes (Owens & Slade, 1987;Weight & Noakes, 1986), our results diverge from those of other researchers (Clark et al, 1988;Rosen et al, 1986), who found greater evidence of pathogenic eating. Perhaps differing measurement strategies in part explain this discrepancy.…”

Reliability and Factor Validity of a Farsi Version of the Positive and Negative Perfectionism Scale

“…Perfectionism is neurotic when an individual has unrealistic expectations and is never satisfied with his or others' performance (Hamachek, 1978). Hamachek's (1978) dichotomy is similar to the distinction drawn by Slade and colleagues (Slade, 1982;Slade & Dewey, 1986;Owens & Slade, 1987;Slade, Dewey, Kiemle, & Newton, 1990) between satisfied and dissatisfied perfectionists, on the basis of perceived consequences. Further factor analytic studies have provided support for conceptualizing perfectionism as being composed of positive and negative dimensions (Frost, et al, 1993;Slaney, Ashby, & Trippi, 1995;Terry-Short, Owens, Slade, & Dewey, 1995;Ashby, Kottman, & Schoen, 1998;Rice, Ashby, & Slaney, 1998;Suddarth & Slaney, 2001).…”

Relationships between exercise behaviour, eating‐disordered behaviour and quality of life in a community sample of women: when is exercise ‘excessive’?

“…The finding that there was no relationship between obligatory exercise behaviour and reduced quality of life independent of the effects of eating disorder psychopathology is consistent with the findings of Owens and Slade (1987), who reported that while female marathon runners resembled AN patients with respect to scores on a measure of perfectionism, high levels of perfectionism were associated with elevated levels of dissatisfaction only in the AN sample. Similarly, Hubbard, Gray, and Parker (1998) found that while scores on subscales of the EDI were elevated among individuals who exercised primarily for 'food-related' reasons, levels of depression were not elevated in this subgroup, relative to the remainder of the sample.…”

Disordered eating patterns in competitive female athletes

“…The competitive female cross-country runner actually may be at slightly less risk for body dissatisfaction than her nonathlete counterpart, whereas the gymnast may be at somewhat greater risk for weight preoccupation. Although similar to the findings of some studies of elite female athletes (Owens & Slade, 1987;Weight & Noakes, 1986), our results diverge from those of other researchers (Clark et al, 1988;Rosen et al, 1986), who found greater evidence of pathogenic eating. Perhaps differing measurement strategies in part explain this discrepancy.…”

Reliability and Factor Validity of a Farsi Version of the Positive and Negative Perfectionism Scale

“…Perfectionism is neurotic when an individual has unrealistic expectations and is never satisfied with his or others' performance (Hamachek, 1978). Hamachek's (1978) dichotomy is similar to the distinction drawn by Slade and colleagues (Slade, 1982;Slade & Dewey, 1986;Owens & Slade, 1987;Slade, Dewey, Kiemle, & Newton, 1990) between satisfied and dissatisfied perfectionists, on the basis of perceived consequences. Further factor analytic studies have provided support for conceptualizing perfectionism as being composed of positive and negative dimensions (Frost, et al, 1993;Slaney, Ashby, & Trippi, 1995;Terry-Short, Owens, Slade, & Dewey, 1995;Ashby, Kottman, & Schoen, 1998;Rice, Ashby, & Slaney, 1998;Suddarth & Slaney, 2001).…”