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Running--an analogue of anorexia?
The New England Journal of Medicine
|February 3, 1983
Summary
Obligatory runners share personality traits and backgrounds with women suffering from anorexia nervosa. Both groups may use extreme behaviors to establish identity.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sports Medicine
- Eating Disorders
Background:
- Explores similarities between anorexia nervosa patients and a subgroup of male athletes called "obligatory runners."
- Utilizes case examples from interviews with over 60 marathon and trail runners.
Observation:
- Obligatory runners exhibit parallels with anorexic women in family background, socioeconomic status, and personality traits.
- Observed traits include anger inhibition, high self-expectations, tolerance for discomfort, denial of debility, and depressive tendencies.
- Both groups may display compulsive athleticism, food preoccupation, and an emphasis on lean body mass.
Findings:
- Preliminary observations suggest shared psychological and behavioral patterns between obligatory runners and individuals with anorexia nervosa.
- These similarities span family dynamics, personality profiles, and attitudes towards physical activity and body composition.
Implications:
- Suggests that extreme athletic dedication and disordered eating behaviors might represent a shared, potentially dangerous, coping mechanism for identity formation.
- Highlights the need for further research to validate these preliminary findings and understand the underlying psychological mechanisms.