The Thin Ideal and Attitudes towards Appearance as Correlates of Exercise Addiction among Sporty People during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The stress and anxiety caused by the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) have exacerbated body image concerns. A society that perpetuates the attempt for a perfect and thin appearance represents a fertile ground for the development of exercise addiction (EA). This cross-sectional study aims to explore EA during the second wave of the pandemic (October–December 2020) and to examine the independent influence of both time spent on moderate and vigorous physical activities and body image variables (i.e., drive for leanness and sociocultural attitudes toward appearance) on EA. A sample of Italian sporty people (N = 194; 48.5% females; Mage = 25.91 ± 6.32) was surveyed using the Exercise Addiction Inventory, the Drive for Leanness Scale, the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire, and the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. A total of 82% of the sample were symptomatic of and 11.3% were at risk of EA. Hierarchical regressions revealed an association between the time spent on vigorous physical activities and levels of EA (p < 0.05). Moreover, body image variables were positively related to EA, explaining an additional 11% of variance (p < 0.05). Results showed the importance of considering and addressing body image factors to investigate and dampen the risk of EA among sporty people.

Photo Activity on Social Networking Sites and Body Dissatisfaction: The Roles of Thin-Ideal Internalization and Body Appreciation

“…Body image perception is an important dimension of self-concept [ 1 , 2 ], closely related to an individual’s social and emotional adaption. Previous studies found that negative body image perception, mainly BD, is directly associated with maladaptive outcomes, including lower self-worth [ 3 ] and even eating disorders [ 4 ] or exercise addiction [ 5 ]. Emerging adult women usually pay more attention to physical attractiveness than they do in other periods of their life [ 6 , 7 ] and are vulnerable to BD [ 8 ], regardless of their socioeconomic status, social culture, and ethnicities [ 9 ].…”

Short-term effects and long-term changes of FUEL—a digital sports nutrition intervention on REDs related symptoms in female athletes

“…This should be seen in light of the reduced LEA and eating disorder symptoms at 6- and 12-months follow-up, symptoms that have been reported to be associated with symptoms of exercise addiction ( 39 , 43 , 44 ). However, both changes in athletic season ( 67 ) and the COVID-19 pandemic ( 68 ) may also be explanatory factors to the changes in exercise addiction symptoms. Further, FUEL athletes with risk of primary exercise addiction preintervention, reduced and increased LEAF-Q total score, respectively, suggesting a complex symptom picture and the potential interaction between exercise addiction and risk of REDs.…”

The Impact of the First and Second Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Eating Symptoms and Dysfunctional Eating Behaviours in the General Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…This latter finding may be due to the ease of social restrictions and confinement in 2021 and the consequent re-opening of both outdoor and indoor sports centres, which impacted on individuals’ abilities to stay physically active. However, previous evidence showed that increased anxiety about exercise was a main concern for individuals with FED during the pandemic [ 113 , 114 ] and that excessive exercising was triggered by several messages shared online during the pandemic [ 115 , 116 ]. Overall, the current findings further highlight how the COVID-19-related restrictions may have negatively impacted on problematic eating habits during daily routines by influencing exercising practice [ 28 ].…”