Do You Have an Eating Disorder? If You Are a Dedicated Bodybuilder, Some Shrinks Thin

[Punschkrapfen]

first i thought that this might be a joke, but the term "eating disorder, bodybuilder type" is really used in the literature :

Psychother Psychosom 2000;69(1):19-26 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut

Psychiatric and medical effects of anabolic-androgenic steroid use in women.

Gruber AJ, Pope HG Jr.

Biological Psychiatry Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA. [email protected]

BACKGROUND: Although numerous studies have documented the psychiatric and physiological effects of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) in males, virtually no studies have investigated the effects of illicit AAS use in women. METHODS: We performed psychiatric and medical evaluations of 75 dedicated women athletes, recruited by advertisement primarily from gymnasiums in the Boston, Mass., area. RESULTS: Twenty-five (33%) of the women reported current or past AAS use. Users were more muscular than nonusers and reported use of many other 'ergogenic' (performance-enhancing) drugs in addition to AAS. Some described a frank syndrome of ergogenic polysubstance dependence, often with significant morbidity. Fourteen (56%) of the users reported hypomanic symptoms during AAS use and 10 (40%) reported depressive symptoms during AAS withdrawal, but none met full DSM-IV criteria for a hypomanic or major depressive episode. Nineteen (76%) users reported at least one adverse medical effect associated with AAS use. Perhaps the most interesting findings were several unusual psychiatric syndromes reported by both the AAS users and nonusers. These included rigid dietary practices (which we have termed 'eating disorder, bodybuilder type'), nontraditional gender roles and chronic dissatisfaction and preoccupation with their physiques (a syndrome which we have termed 'muscle dysmorphia'). CONCLUSIONS: Dedicated women athletes exhibit not only AAS abuse, but use of many other ergogenic drugs, sometimes associated with significant morbidity. In addition, these athletes frequently display several psychiatric syndromes which have not previously been well described. Copyright 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.


there are too many psychiatrists out there. they have to invent mental diseses in order to boost their business of curing these "diseases"

 

[ATrollFromTheFatBoard]

opinion

Who here doesn't like the rush of total control and power over your body through what you eat and how you excercise?

Some of us get our "rush" from other things, and we shouldn't be knocked for it.

That said, I read that article and had to laugh.

There is a big difference in CHOOSING one's priorities, and a compulsion.

I take it none of you will have a full-blown panic attack if you are compelled to miss a workout or a meal on occasion, and your working around other things to do your meals and workouts is a matter of something you *prefer* to do, not something you are *addicted* to? Good. Figured so.

These folks need better things to do with their time and grant money ...

 

[Sassy69]

What came to my mind is what we call "normal" and "eating disorder". I know I can feel a panic coming on if I'm in a situation where I may not be able to eat what is scheduled on my meal plan -- that indicates a bit of strictness in my diet. But the interest feature is that the strictness and sometimes militant following of a meal schedule may sometimes be in response to the really lax type of eating that most people do. If everyone is at Starbuck's pounding a double mochacccino and sampling all the Krispy Kreme flavors, if I decline in favor of nuked eggwhites from a carton, does that make me "obsessive" about my eating? And the whole thing about eating 5x / day -- isn't that basically what they recommend you do when you are trying to lose weight???? And if this was the norm, then you wouldn't have to be told to do it to lose weight. Duh. Because the sloppy fat lifestyle is accepted, you literally have to retaliate with an ultra strict diet in order to succeed against what everyone seems to be expect you to do (join in w/ the extra dollop of whipped cream on that latte & try one of the new flavors of donut.)

I think our society (at least in the US) is SOOOOO fucked with the fast food, supersizing, and lazy ass life styles, I think that people who succumb to that should be told they have eating disorders & are abusing their bodies by not gettign any exercise.

 

[Pamela]

Anything can be taken to any unhealthy extreme... Anything.

I agree with Star on this one..


Eating disorders are all about control over something..
Even if it's the eating and the training.

 

[wilson6]

Anything that HG Pope writes is strongly biased against bodybuilding. Not sure what his problem is, but I view his results with caution in the area of bodybuilding in general. He always finds the worst of the worst and puts the most negative possible spin on his results, particularly in the abstracts that most people read including the media. If you read the complete paper and discussion, you'll find that there is considerable question with regard to his results for a variety of reasons, but you'd never know it from the abstract.

If he is really interested in helping society, he should focus his research monies on obesity and ways to increase physical activity in the US, not continually crucify a small and relatively insignificant segment of our society with regard to morbid behaviors.

Having said that, I will say that are numerous behaviors on this board that are or border on pathologic, particularly when people are not dieting for a show, thus some of the points that Pope makes do have foundation. For example,

"I know I can feel a panic coming on if I'm in a situation where I may not be able to eat what is scheduled on my meal plan"

"look at Alphie Newman - the first Ms. Galaxy winner - know why you don't see her anymore - she won the Galaxy on inhuman amounts of T-3 used to "cover" her insane binging habits."

"i would never miss a gym session..ide know exactly how many grams oif carbs, pro , fat and cals ide consume per meal , per day."

"Ide sit at work and do these calculations and makeup new gym programs instead of doing my work."

"I would tell my friends i was tired and wouldnt go out with them, so i had time to prepare my meals at night, so that I could wake up at 5am to go to gym the next day and have everything ready, before i started work for the day. "

This stuff is a little too extreme and even counter productive to a balanced lifestyle. What most of you will find is that with age and responsibility, you'll settle into a more balanced lifestyle and you'll discover that all the anal tendencies really weren't necessary in the first place and were nothing more than wasted time and energy you could have devoted to a relationship and/or job that would yield far greater returns in the long run.

W6

 

[SteelWeaver]

This stuff is a little too extreme and even counter productive to a balanced lifestyle. What most of you will find is that with age and responsibility, you'll settle into a more balanced lifestyle and you'll discover that all the anal tendencies really weren't necessary in the first place and were nothing more than wasted time and energy you could have devoted to a relationship and/or job that would yield far greater returns in the long run.

W6

Thank you, W6 - that's exactly what I wanted to know - just exactly how anal it's necessary to be.

Obviously it depends on one's goals, short, medium and long term, but I'm thinking, if one's not dieting for a show, and training is moving along smoothly, then it's perfectly normal and acceptable to go out a couple or few times a month and NOT think about how many grams of whatever one's eating.

I'm still on a pretty steep learning curve here, so that's why I'm interested. I kinda wanted to know from those more and less experienced how they work stuff, because sometimes it's really hard to gain an objective perspective - everyone I know thinks I'm a bit nuts with my tupperware, but no-one I know is a bodybuilder ...

And sometimes I wonder if some of us here ARE too extreme, but like I say, it's hard to know ...

Nice replies everyone - let's hear some more.

 

[makedah]

What wilson6 (and starfish and others) said...

It doesn't sound to me like these articles are equating bodybuilding to having an eating disorder. It sounds like they are pointing out a way in which someone's eating disorder and body-image problems might manifest themselves. It's probably similar to the way in which exercise bulimia is found among cardio endurance athletes and 'cardio queens.' No doubt bodybuilding can appeal to people who are deeply dissatisfied with their bodies, and the eating habits often associated with it may be very appealing to someone who needs to exert a certain amount of control over food.

 

[circusgirl]

The current definition of when behaviour that's a bit obsessive/rigid becomes a "disorder" is when it impairs occupational and social function.

So if you need to switch the lights on and off for 10 minutes when you leave the house in the morning, but it doesn't otherwise interfere with your life, not a disorder. If you have to do this every time you enter or leave a room, including at work -> disorder.

However the feeling of control when other things are not going well IS a characteristic of anorexia. (toddle on over and read the infamous thin page if you don't believe me). It all depends on how anal you are I guess.

circusgirl

 

[dragonmona]

Wow,

I had no idea there was a medical term for my newfound lifestyle!!

I can see how easy it is to live bb'ing to the exclusion of every thing else in your life and when you are first learning it is very difficult not to do exactly that. After time a balance can be found and any situation can be delt with to satisfy your required dietary needs.

I just recieved a promotion to outside sales. That requires a lot of time in my car and eating out many times a week. My solution is purcasing an Igloo cooler to keep my food and I have absolutely no problem ordering chicken salad every day and having more chicken in my purse to add to the salad.

I don't mind being a medical term at all.

dm

 

[makedah]

After time a balance can be found and any situation can be delt with to satisfy your required dietary needs.

If this is what you believe, then it doesn't sound like you are described by ED, BT at all.