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Obligatory exercise and coping in treatment-seeking women with poor body image

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Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Obligatory exercise is characterized by continued exercise despite negative consequences, and intense negative affect when unable to exercise. Research suggests psychosocial differences between individuals that exercise in an obligatory manner and those that do not. It also has been speculated that obligatory exercise may serve coping and affect regulation functions, yet these factors have not been routinely examined in community women with poor body image. The purpose of the current study was to investigate psychosocial differences between obligatory and non-obligatory exercisers, and to examine the use of obligatory exercise as an avoidant coping strategy in a sample of women with poor body image.

Methods

Women (n = 70) seeking treatment for body dissatisfaction were divided into obligatory and non-obligatory exercise groups based on their scores on the Obligatory Exercise Questionnaire. Participants then completed an assessment battery about eating pathology, body image, reasons for exercise, coping strategies, and negative affect.

Results

Independent t test analyses indicated that obligatory exercisers had significantly greater eating disorder symptomatology, avoidant coping, and appearance- and mood-related reasons for exercise than non-obligatory exercisers. Multiple regression analyses revealed that eating disorder symptomatology and avoidant coping were significant predictors of obligatory exercise.

Conclusions

There are distinct psychosocial differences between women with poor body image who exercise in an obligatory fashion and those who do not. The current study suggests that obligatory exercise may serve as an avoidant coping strategy for women with poor body image. Enhancing healthy coping strategies may be an important addition to body image improvement programs.

Level of evidence

V, cross-sectional descriptive study.

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Funding

This study was not supported by funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, MSCO3 2220, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA

    Kelsey N. Serier, Jane Ellen Smith & Ruth E. Sarafin

  2. Intermountain Health Care, 3903 Harrison Blvd Suite 300, Ogden, UT, 84403, USA

    Denise N. Lash

  3. Columbia University Medical Center, 180 Ft. Washington Avenue, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    Loren M. Gianini

  4. Social Science Division, Pepperdine University, 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA, 90263, USA

    Jennifer A. Harriger

  5. Eating Disorders Institute of New Mexico, 2200 Grande Blvd. SE, Suite B, Rio Rancho, NM, 87124, USA

    Brenda L. Wolfe

Authors
  1. Kelsey N. Serier
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  2. Jane Ellen Smith
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  4. Loren M. Gianini
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  7. Brenda L. Wolfe
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jane Ellen Smith.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in this study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in this study.

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Serier, K.N., Smith, J.E., Lash, D.N. et al. Obligatory exercise and coping in treatment-seeking women with poor body image. Eat Weight Disord 23, 331–338 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-018-0504-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-018-0504-3

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