Individuals with eating disorders control their weight through a variety of methods, including restricting caloric intake, purging by vomiting or using laxatives and exercising to excess. When the body is already weakened or stressed by lack of nutrition, exercise can be dangerous and harmful, rather than a healthy behavior. If you have anorexia, talk with your treatment team about whether it is safe for you to continue exercising.
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia nervosa, also referred to as anorexia, is an eating disorder that can affect up to 1/2 to 1 percent of women in the United States, says the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI. Men can also suffer from anorexia, although the majority of individuals diagnosed are females. The main features of this disorder include being at least 15 percent under a healthy body weight and a refusal to maintain a healthy weight. Body image distortions, loss of menstrual periods and a strong fear of gaining weight are also characteristics of anorexia.
Exercise Behaviors of Anorexics
Many anorexics restrict their food intake and exercise excessively or compulsively, explains NAMI. According to a 2010 study by Bewell-Weiss and Carter, anorexic individuals who exercised compulsively were more likely to be more restrictive with food and have higher levels of depression and poor self-esteem than anorexics who did not exercise to excess. Not every anorexic exercises; some simply restrict food intake, and some restrict and purge.
Physical Dangers
Anorexia can damage vital organs, and exercising while severely underweight can be extremely dangerous. The Ohio State University Medical Center states that cardiovascular abnormalities like heart arrhythmias, very low blood pressure and a slow heartbeat are common in patients with anorexia. When the heart muscle is damaged from changes in the heartbeat, the strain of exercise on the heart can be too much. Electrolyte levels can be disturbed from the dehydration and starvation that occurs during anorexia, leading to abnormalities in the heartbeat as well. This can be life-threatening, and especially so when the stress of exercise is placed on the body.
Considerations
If you have anorexia, talk with your treatment team before starting any exercise program. An eating disorder can do significant damage to your heart and bones, and until your team gives you the OK that it is safe to participate in physical activity, you may harm yourself. When you return to working out, you may need to slowly ease into the activity level to give your body time to adjust.
References
- National Alliance on Mental Illness; Anorexia Nervosa; 2011
- The Ohio State University Medical Center: Anorexia Nervosa;
- The University of Maryland Medical Center; Eating Disorders:Anorexia Nervosa; Dr. Harvey Simon; January 2009
- "Comprehensive Psychiatry"; Predictors of Excessive Exercise in Anorexia Nervosa; CV Bewell-Weiss and JC Carter; 2010
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