Anorexia Athletica Presents Health Risks for Young Women

Exercise is certainly a good thing for most people – but for those suffering from anorexia athletica, it may be too much of a good thing. The disorder causes people to over exercise and become obsessed with working out, to the point that it can cause health problems and social consequences. This complex disorder may be especially dangerous for young women, who strive to keep up with media images of thin bodies.

Typically, the patient with anorexia athletica has a difficult time viewing their exercise habits as harmful. The activities seem justified, especially in light of commercials and media images showing hundreds of different types of “healthy” exercise. Anorexia athletica, however, creates a condition in which the person is addicted to physical activity and is compelled to continue doing it, even if the activities have lost all enjoyment. The person may work out for increasingly longer sessions or have feelings of guilt and low self-esteem if they don’t work out long enough each day.

Causes of anorexia athletica are linked to an abnormal obsession with thinness, or wanting perfectly defined muscles. Some seek the perfect body and are unable to realize if they have become too thin. The danger in this condition is that the exercise level is never enough – the person must keep straining toward an unattainable goal of perfection and pursue unrealistic athletic goals.

In addition, the condition can be undetected because societal messages toward exercise are everywhere. People with the disorder can suffer serious health problems under the guise of living a lifestyle of health. The condition most often appears among young girls, ages 12 to 19, but can affect anyone.

One key indicator that anorexia athletica may be present is if a friend or family member forgoes social experiences or work in favor of working out. A sense of isolation sets in, which then makes it easier for the person to overexercise. Because it can take time for the problem to be realized, the person can continue exercising at dangerous levels.

Other symptoms include constantly talking about their physical appearance and weight, extreme weight loss and physical complaints like digestive problems or nausea. Many times, people with anorexia athletica will become anxious about their next chance to exercise and may also have other eating disorders, like bulimia or binge eating. They may focus on challenging themselves through exercise, instead of working out for stress relief or health benefits.

If left untreated, anorexia athletica can cause heart problems, depression and even death – similar to anorexia nervosa and bulimia. The condition has yet to receive an official diagnosis, but continues to affect more and more people who are also likely to suffer from low self-respect and other emotional problems. Family members and friends are urged to guide people with these symptoms to get help, beginning with their primary care doctor or an eating disorders clinic.
 

Tags: anorexia athletica