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[Sports and feeding behavior disorders].
Rosa Behar1, Patricia Hernández
1Departamento de Psiquiatría, Universidad de Valparaíso, Casilla 92-V, Valparaíso. rositabehar@imaginativa.cl
Revista Medica De Chile
|June 5, 2002
Summary
Individuals who exercise regularly and exhibit subclinical eating disorders share psychological traits like drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction with those who have clinical eating disorders.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sports Science
- Clinical Nutrition
Context:
- Excessive focus on diet and body weight in fitness enthusiasts may increase eating disorder risk.
- Regular exercisers may exhibit psychological traits associated with eating disorders.
Purpose:
- To compare psychological and behavioral traits between individuals with eating disorders and regular exercisers.
- To identify potential subclinical eating disorder indicators in fitness populations.
Summary:
- 18% of regular exercisers scored in the pathological range on the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-40), indicating subclinical eating disorders.
- These individuals showed similar levels of drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction, maturity fears, and perfectionism compared to patients with clinical eating disorders.
- Gender-specific similarities were observed in interpersonal distrust, maturity fears, and perfectionism.
Impact:
- Highlights the need for screening for eating disorders in individuals with intense exercise routines.
- Informs targeted interventions for subclinical eating disorders within fitness communities.
- Contributes to understanding the spectrum of eating disorder psychopathology in relation to exercise behaviors.