Behavioral and psychological aspects of exercise across stages of eating disorder recovery

Eat Disord. 2016 Oct-Dec;24(5):424-39. doi: 10.1080/10640266.2016.1207452. Epub 2016 Jul 27.

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between behavioral and psychological aspects of exercise and eating disorder recovery. Participants were categorized as having an eating disorder (n = 53), partially recovered (n = 15), fully recovered (n = 20), or non-eating disorder controls (n = 67). Groups did not differ significantly in time spent exercising, but did differ in exercise intensity, guilt-related exercise, obsessive exercise cognitions, and appearance/weight management and stress/mood management motivations for exercise. Results support the importance of measuring psychological aspects of exercise in particular across the course of an eating disorder.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Exercise / psychology*
  • Feeding and Eating Disorders / psychology*
  • Feeding and Eating Disorders / rehabilitation*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Young Adult