Eating Disorder Treatment Programs

Exercise addiction has only recently begun to be studied, but is closely related to bulimia nervosa, in that the exercise is used as a way of purging. It is a compulsory need for some physical type of exercise. Addictions include commitment to jogging, running, jazzercize, stair-stepping, high intensity aerobics and/or weight training. Some people run on treadmills, spin, or stair-step for hours or participate in more than one exercise class per day. Like other eating disorders, people with exercise addiction have lives which revolve around their exercise. They feel controlled by their exercises and refuse to miss a session of their work out schedule. These individuals will even exercise when they have physical injuries, thus exacerbating their wounds and creating further damage.

A person with an eating disorder who is also afflicted with compulsive exercise is in extreme danger for developing medical problems. Any heart murmurs or arrythmias are naturally aggravated and made worse. Because the nutrition of someone with an eating disorder is often poor, the individual also runs the risk of bone damage and loss from osteoporosis. In athletes with compulsive exercising it isn't uncommon for them to be afflicted with stress fractures and more physical injuries than their other teammates. Any injuries the person does get do not heal, either, or they take an abnormally long time. A bruise on the hip from bumping into a chair may take as long as two months to fully heal because the body is so run down and does not have the proper nutrition to heal the damage.

With comprehensive treatment, most individuals can be relieved of the symptoms or helped to control eating disorders. Treatment for eating disorders usually requires a team approach; including individual therapy, family therapy, working with a primary care physician, working with a nutritionist, and medication. Many people also suffer from other problems; including depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. It is important to recognize and get appropriate treatment for these problems as well.

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