IT'S POSSIBLE to become
Eating disorders and exercise addictions are growing problems. Some gyms are requiring screenings and medical exams prior to allowing people to work out, because people with eating disorders and exercise addictions are prone to passing out, injuring themselves and suing the facilities.
More is not betterThere is a spectrum for drinking, from teetotaling to sipping an occasional glass of wine to becoming a homeless person who is addicted to alcohol. Similarly, there are spectrums for healthy eating, from joyful, healthful dining to dieting to potentially fatal disorders such as orthorexia (obsession with healthy eating) and anorexia (obsession with thinness that may lead sufferers to starve to death).
Exercising has a spectrum, too, from playful movement to structured fitness regimens to compulsions to exercise. Such compulsiveness can cause a person to miss work and skip parties in order to fit in a run, bike or do some other physical activity.
Just as an alcoholic person is driven by cravings and continues to drink despite bad consequences, an exercise or healthy-eating addict has obsessions that interfere with daily life.
Warning signs of exercise addiction include preoccupations with working out, exercising in secret, having a rigid routine, having fixations around weight loss, working out despite sickness or injuries, skipping work or social activities to exercise, or otherwise breaking promises
People may experience withdrawal, such as irritability, anxiety or depression, if they are unable to exercise for a day.
"My exercise is my social life.
Just as the genetic tendency toward alcoholism runs in some families, researchers say exercise addiction may have a physical basis, as well. The evidence so far is limited to mice and shows that mice addicted to running on little wire wheels activated the same parts of their brains that respond to addictive substances such as cocaine, morphine, alcohol and nicotine.
Eating disordersMany people with exercise addiction also have an eating disorder, such as anorexia or orthorexia.
Anorexia nervosa is one of the most extreme eating disorders. Sufferers are obsessed with thinness, refuse to maintain a normal weight and have an intense fear of becoming overweight. Female sufferers often become so thin that they stop menstruating. Both males and females can develop brittle bones and irregular heartbeats. Many starve themselves to death.
Orthorexia, while not an official diagnosis, is a word coined by Colorado physician Steven Bratman. Orthorexics are obsessed with eating pure, natural and healthy foods and sometimes cut out so many food groups that they lose weight unintentionally. I knew a couple of people who allowed themselves to eat only whole grains, fruits and vegetables, a pattern that was inadequate in protein and fats, and resulted in all sorts of vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Bulimia nervosa is another eating disorder. Sufferers binge on large amounts of food, usually in secret, then purge the food by vomiting, taking laxatives or diet pills or by exercising to excess. Bulimia also can kill, sometimes causing fatal irregular heartbeats or broken blood vessels.
People who have exercise addictions or eating disorders need professional help. A physician can diagnose the problem and also may refer the person to a therapist and registered dietitian.
Resolve to have some funInstead of going to extremes, resolve to balance your health with the rest of your life.
Dietitian and family therapist Ellyn Satter says it well in her book, "Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family":
"Normal eating is going to the table hungry and eating until you are satisfied. It is being able to choose food you like and eat it and truly get enough of it--not just stop eating because you think you should. Normal eating is being able to give some thought to your food selection so you get nutritious food, but not being so wary and restrictive that you miss out on enjoyable food. Normal eating takes up some of your time and attention, but keeps its place as only one important area of your life.
"In short, normal eating is flexible. It varies in response to your hunger, your schedule, your proximity to food and your feelings."
Eating and exercise addictions are not flexible, because sufferers force themselves to diet and exercise regardless of how they feel.
We need to take into account our internal sensations of hunger, tiredness, and the like, not just the experts' rules about being healthy.
Setting realistic goalsInstead of aiming for perfection, pick reasonable, measurable goals. In place of resolving to eat healthier, consider aiming to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables five days a week, or to switch from butter and stick margarine to healthy fats such as olive oil and tub margarine most days.
For most people, it's not reasonable to resolve to give up chocolate for life or to exercise an hour daily, but flexible baby steps are doable. Consider resolving to try walking 10 minutes daily on weekdays, and to reconsider your goal in a week or two. At that point, you will be in better shape and might feel like increasing to 15 or 20 minutes daily, and so on, eventually reaching a reasonable goal of 30 minutes.
Happy New Year!
Some useful Web sites:
Exercise addiction: mclean.harvard.edu/pdf/news/fitnessmanage0704.pdf
Eating attitudes test:
National Eating Disorders Association: nationaleatingdisor
Running addiction:
americanrunning.org/dis
Orthorexia: orthorexia.com
JENNIFER MOTL, a registered dietitian, welcomes reader questions via her Web site, brighteating.com, or mailed to Nutrition, The Free Lance-Star, 616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg, Va. 22401.