Excessive exercise and weight preoccupation in women.

Abstract

A group of adult women (n = 351) were assessed on a number of psychological, behavioral, and body composition measures including weight preoccupation and leisure-time physical activity participation. The purpose of the study was twofold. It was intended (a) to investigate whether excessive exercises have specific characteristics in common other than that they exercise a great deal and (b) to identify the degree of relationship between exercising and weight preoccupation, and the extent to which those classified as excessive on either dimension have psychological characteristics in common. Results indicated that excessive exercisers reported greater body satisfaction and body focus, were less emotionally reactive (neurotic), and more extraverted than nonexercisers. Although some researchers have reported psychological similarities between excessive exercisers and women with eating disturbances, our data do not entirely support that point of view. While excessive exercise was associated with a decrease in body dissatisfaction and was negatively related to neuroticism, weight preoccupation was associated with an increase in body dissatisfaction and was positively related to neuroticism. However, one characteristic that both excessive groups shared, and that significantly differentiated them from their nonexcessive counterparts, was their high level of body focus. These findings led us to test the body focus x neuroticism interaction on both exercise participation and weight preoccupation. Results indicated a highly significant interaction on weight preoccupation. However, only the two main effects were significantly related to exercise.