Effect of Exercise on Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and Anthropometric

Anorexia Nervosa is a very serious eating disorder that usually young girls, between ages 12-20 experience. Girls which have such high expectations placed on them to be thin are the ones that are most likely to experience Anorexia Nervosa. However a few researches have studied the effect of exercise in young thin women with anorexia nervosa. The aim of this study was to investigate whether walking exercise can positively effect on BMR and anthropometric variables in young thin women. Twenty thin (BM I <20) women with age 22.00 ± 1.50 years volunteered to participate in this study. They were randomly assigned to exercise (n=10) and control (n=10) groups. Before and after the training program both groups had BMR and anthropometric measurements. Each walking session was 30 min walking at 50-75% of maximal heart rate, 3 days per week, for 2 months. Percent body fat, fat mass and lean mass changes in response to training were significant in the exercise group (all p=0.000). Also BMR in exercise group significantly increased (p= 0.022). This study demonstrated that walking exercise improved the Anorexia Nervosa in young thin women. If done on a regular basis, this type of training can be efficient, safe way of reducing this illness.