Exercise Abuse

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You might feel apathetic or irritable, or experience mood changes from depression to anxiety to anger and confusion.

Psychological symptoms of addiction

In addition to displaying many of these physical symptoms, the exercise addict also has an unhealthy attitude toward food and weight loss.

The exercise addict associates her daily exercise routine with her daily diet. She might think, "if I eat ice cream now; I'll go running later to work it off." She doesn't see that occasional treats are part of a normal diet. She places too much emphasis on how much she weighs, not taking into account that muscle weighs more than fat. Many women can exercise regularly and not lose weight because they're adding muscle while losing fat. They're losing inches but not pounds (see "Think Inches Not Pounds").

The exercise addict may not realize that it's actually important to have body fat. Between 10 and 13 percent of the female body is sex-specific body fat essential to reproductive and immune system functioning. If weight loss is drastic enough or is coupled with aspects of an eating disorder, the body's metabolism can be seriously upset. Consequences can include a weakened immune system and lowered metabolic rate.

Another possible result is amenorrhea, or abnormal interruption of menstruation. Until recently amenorrhea was considered by many female athletes to be a sign of fitness. Now it is considered a sign of exercise abuse. Research by Barbara Drinkwater, Ph.D., and colleagues at the Pacific Medical Center in Seattle, have linked exercise-associated amenorrhea with a significant decrease in bone mass. This decrease in bone mass may increase the rate of stress fracture and the development of osteoporosis in later years.

If you are experiencing amenorrhea, see your doctor to determine if it is exercise-related. There can be other causes, including pregnancy. In the meantime, keep using contraception if you aren't trying to get pregnant. You can never tell when that first egg is going to drop down the Fallopian tube. The cause of your amenorrhea may switch from exercise to pregnancy and you may not realize it until you are four or five months along.

Take the following quiz to see if you are abusing exercise.

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Table of Contents

Foreword: Billie Jean King

Comments by Barb Harris
Editor in Chief,
Shape Magazine

General Health
Nutrition
Exercise
Common Medical Problems
Dental Health
Emergency!
Infectious Disease
Sexual Health
Emotional Well-Being
Eating Disorders
Alcohol & Other Drugs
Environmental Health
Prevention