Excessive physical activity in dieting disorder patients: proposals for a supervised exercise program

A relationship between starvation and hyperactivity has been observed in animal models, in experiments with human subjects, and in dieting disorder patients. Since the earliest descriptions of anorexia nervosa, excessive physical activity has figured prominently as a symptom of the illness, yet little attention has been directed towards this phenomenon. The aims of this paper are to review the published literature, to report our experience of the role of physical overactivity in the clinical presentation of dieting disorders, to discuss its implications for treatment, and to propose a supervised exercise program by which overactivity may be addressed specifically in the treatment of these patients.