Excessive and Compulsive Exercise in Eating Disorders: Prevalence, Associated Features, and Management

Excessive and compulsive exercise is a common behavior of eating disorder patients, especially those who are underweight. It interacts with eating disorder psychopathology by maintaining the eating disorder. Moreover, it may result in over-use injuries and can potentially interfere with weight gain for underweight patients. This lesson will clinicians to make informed decisions regarding the evaluation and treatment of eating disorder patients with this distinctive clinical feature. A cardinal feature of the eating disorders is exercise. In this lesson, the author discusses excessive and compulsive exercise within the context of the eating disorders. He begins with helpful definitions of excessive and compulsive exercise. The lesson then reviews the consequences and treatment outcomes of exercise in eating disordered people. The lesson ends with a succinct summary of the salient aspects of a thorough assessment and management of excessive and compulsive exercise behavior. The procedures and strategies to manage exercise in eating disordered people as outlined are particularly helpful to clinicians. —P.H. Publication Date: November 2008 273 Editor’s Note Directions in Psychiatry Volume 28 • Lesson 21