Just to discuss: Does bodybuilding perpetuate eating disorders?

[fit4me]

So i'm sure every female weightlifter has heard of orthorexia (obsession with healthy food). Obviously, weightlifters are gaining muscle and cutting fat. Sometimes we avoid baked goods for weeks/months/ever in the quest to have the musle definition of godesses. I know I go through phases where I am all about my macronutrient ration cuz i'm convinced that my muscles grow nad recover better. If you want, also, read this article and tell me what y'all think!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...042501895.html

[ctgblue]

Realize that hobbies don't usually cause the eating disorder, addictive personalities do.
People who feel out of control and use eating a s aform of it can fall into this trap.
unfortunately, body nazis tend to have a larger percentage of people who participate for some form of control and the eating can come with it

I eat 6 times a day because I am hungry and it keeps my blood sugar stable, plus helping recovery
but I eat 7 x during prep and that's whenn the macro ratios count for me

[blazay]

yea eating healthy does not always make you full, so aslong as you know your body, u can always sneak in more carbs here and there to get that full feeling.. i personally have a very fast metabolism, so if i stayed 100% true to my diet, then id be losing weight, that where i make adjustments to how my stomach feels

[limniade]

I think that obsessing over food in any form can be unhealthy. However...and this is me not taking the implications of a mental illness into account...there are far worse diseases to have than an addiction to eating healthy and keeping one's body in prime condition.

[Amanda76]

Originally Posted by limniade

I think that obsessing over food in any form can be unhealthy. However...and this is me not taking the implications of a mental illness into account...there are far worse diseases to have than an addiction to eating healthy and keeping one's body in prime condition.

x2

The only way I can see an addiction to eating healthy causing a huge problem is if when faced with a choice of starving or eating a big mac, the person chooses to starve...can anyone think of another example of how healthy eating might interfere with/destroy someone's life (something that can't be solved with better time management skills)?

[heidismommy]

I see how that could be true, but for me it as helped me overcome the fear of food and gaining weight. Maybe I have gone from one obsession to another in some ways, but this far healthier than trying to destroy my body. I feel stronger and healthier now and cannot imagine relapsing back into the anorexia.

One thing I've noticed about this site is that there are a lot of recovering eating disorder sufferers here. I was surprised by this at first, but it does make sense. Bodybuilding is a way of still having complete control over food and body (and life in some ways), but in a healthier, more constructive manner. An otherwise healthy individual may not develop an eating disorder from bodybuilding, but I can see how it could trigger relapse in some individuals. I really think underlying issues and past struggles would have to be there.

[justagirl]

Originally Posted by heidismommy

One thing I've noticed about this site is that there are a lot of recovering eating disorder sufferers here. I was surprised by this at first, but it does make sense. Bodybuilding is a way of still having complete control over food and body (and life in some ways), but in a healthier, more constructive manner. An otherwise healthy individual may not develop an eating disorder from bodybuilding, but I can see how it could trigger relapse in some individuals. I really think underlying issues and past struggles would have to be there.

ita, this is exactly what popped into mind when i read the title of this thread. in that way it can be dangerous

[Vadim Beliaev]

One thing that people who wrote this article cannot understand is this simple fact - bodybuilders do not obsess over food as such, they simply use food to achieve specific goals.
Whether it is to gain lean mass or to cut bodyfat, the "obsession" may vary.

My mother would often question my sanity when i would get up at 2 am to cook myself a steak, but she also did not understand that i did not eat the steak because i wanted to eat it, but because i had different goals in mind, such as gaining muscle.

If i could gain without eating the steak, i wouldnt eat it "just because"
If i could lose bodyfat without restricting my food intake and watch over what i eat meticulously, i would not restrict it.

[Shylock]

Originally Posted by limniade

I think that obsessing over food in any form can be unhealthy.

Goto the Nutrition seciotn and you would see a bunch of pathetic teens crying over eating some candy the night before. A bunch of idiots who have got their lifes priorites wrong.

[swole2008]

I'm kinda surprised no one said "hell yea."

Even at a puny weight of 180 at 6' (AND I'm male) I once tried to throw up after having too many oreos.

I did, however, discover throwing up is REALLY effing hard. lol. I thought it'd be a lot simpler. It took me like 5 minutes to just get out like 1/4th of what I ate.

Anyways my point is, I have no history of eating disorders, I don't have an addictive personality, yet when i was on a strict diet, i exercised bulimia. And i have plenty of male friends who have done the same. Yes, I believe your goals and expectations may drive you to do unhealthy things when you start obsessing.

[SexyChic]

I think the opposite for me...Bodybuilding has definitely helped my relationship with food.

[Tiffany_P]

Originally Posted by Amanda76

x2

The only way I can see an addiction to eating healthy causing a huge problem is if when faced with a choice of starving or eating a big mac, the person chooses to starve...can anyone think of another example of how healthy eating might interfere with/destroy someone's life (something that can't be solved with better time management skills)?

LOL! I suppose healthy eating could cause people to stop being social, which reduces quality of life. I imagine a few people have offended grandmas and mother-in-laws by refusing to eat their food as well. Other than social/relationship issues though, I can't see how it could interfere with someone's life.

[fit4me]

OK, well I guess I asked cuz its hard to explain to your family members why you dont want to eat certain foods. I mean I struggled with body image before and I'm afraid my fam will think that I am slipping back into using food to moderate how I feel about my body. I know thats not the case so I'm using you yalls comments to formulate a couple of responses. I have already gotten them used to the frequency of my workouts. Also, sometimes I am afraid that I am getting too strict with my diet but I suppose as long as I am getting enough to eat, its balanced, and i'm getting my vitamins and minerals I shouldnt be worried. Plus, I LOVE the body that comes along with it!

[kmart07]

Originally Posted by Vadim Beliaev

One thing that people who wrote this article cannot understand is this simple fact - bodybuilders do not obsess over food as such, they simply use food to achieve specific goals.
Whether it is to gain lean mass or to cut bodyfat, the "obsession" may vary.

My mother would often question my sanity when i would get up at 2 am to cook myself a steak, but she also did not understand that i did not eat the steak because i wanted to eat it, but because i had different goals in mind, such as gaining muscle.

If i could gain without eating the steak, i wouldnt eat it "just because"
If i could lose bodyfat without restricting my food intake and watch over what i eat meticulously, i would not restrict it.

u couldnt explain it any better

[amj0883]

I obsess...which I hate! I'm always thinking about food...lol

I tend to eat the same things everyday and do get anxiety if something comes up that I don't have planned. I constantly want to make sure I meet my macros and calories for the day...so yeah I could see this being a problem!

I love clean eating...but I think many go overboard, me included!!

Its about finding the balance and enjoying life....but it can turn into a problem...

[amy78]

I noticed I was becoming anti-social because I didn't want to go out to dinner with friends because I knew I would eat "bad" foods, so now I just try and balance it all, but I do obsess. Ie.. if I eat something that will mess up my macros I give myself a hard time.

[Dangerousd37]

Originally Posted by fit4me

So i'm sure every female weightlifter has heard of orthorexia (obsession with healthy food). Obviously, weightlifters are gaining muscle and cutting fat. Sometimes we avoid baked goods for weeks/months/ever in the quest to have the musle definition of godesses. I know I go through phases where I am all about my macronutrient ration cuz i'm convinced that my muscles grow nad recover better. If you want, also, read this article and tell me what y'all think!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...042501895.html

Just my 0.02. Bodybuilding doesn't perpetuate eating disorders. Actually many women on here have suffered from eating disorders and body building has helped them change their life styles to healthier ones. Many people with eating disorders suffer from emotional issues and they use food to suppress/ calm their emotions. Whether this means they don't eat, binge eat, purge, etc. Bodybuilders choose the foods they eat to get the best body they can for themselves. They make sure they get proteins, carbs, healthy fats, fruits, vegetables. A person with an eating disorder either doesn't care what they look like- or have a disordered view that having skin and bones on them is actually a better look for them because they are fat( even if they aren't)-- but even at that state they think they can do better. Body builders eat healthy exercise and actually want to have a butt through squats/lunges- while someone with an eating disorder may think body builders are gross and fat. Bodybuilding gives a healthy view of what to eat and how to live. Someone whom has an addictive personality could get addicted back into the eating disorder if they aren't ready to change their habits and take things to extremes. For instance body builders eat 1-2g of protein a day-- a person whom has an eating disorder wouldn't they either would think it was too much food-- or skip it for some not so healthy foods. Bodybuilding has to be a change within a person and it can drastically change a person in a positive way.

[gynoid]

Interesting topic.

I think for some people, it does. There are some people who will always be predisposed to being anal about food and overexercising. By bodybuilding, I guess its a way of justifying an unhealthy obsession under the guise of a sport.

I also think 'cheat days' can set a lot of people onto the path of having a problem with binging.

Personally, I have to be very careful that I don't slip into a disorder and I toe a fine line between caring about my health and obsession over numbers. I don't use the term 'clean' for my eating, have hidden my scales etc so I am forced to live in that grey area between ultra-control and chaos.

[Donica]

The only "eating disorder" I have as a natural bodybuilder--according to my husband--is how OFTEN I eat and how MUCH I eat. I would not be considered anal by the standards of many here regarding my diet (I have been bulking forever and the more calories, the better in my case--I just steer clear of sugar, manmade junk like MSG and artificial sweeteners, and excess animal fats).

But how much and how often I have to eat, well, that's another matter. When my blood sugar drops I become very angry/irrational/irritable very quickly, so I'm constantly toting around gobs of food to the most inconvenient places. So if that's an eating disorder, my having to be so on top of my diet to consume the FUEL that I need to achieve my goals, then so be it.

My mom tells me, "food is food, not fuel", and I agree--in an ideal world, I'd eat just because of the taste and the satisfaction of filling my stomach, not because I HAVE TO to maintain (and hopefully increase) my muscular body mass, and body mass in general. Anyway...

[SophieM]

The article you posted isn't just talking about eating disorders, it's talking about disordered eating in general. They're not the same. To answer that question, if bodybuilding perpetuates disordered eating, I'd say yes.

I've been at the Arnold Classic for the VIP dinner and heard the fitness models talking about how they could "finally eat" and watched them binge on everything in sight. That's disordered, though not necessarily an eating disorder.

Exercising in order to burn calories is considered disordered. Diet pills, fat burners, etc are disordered as well. There's a lot of things bodybuilders do that is disordered, but not a disorder.

Can one lead to the other, yes. While I think you need to be predisposed to it in some way, it only means that those who are more predisposed will develop an eating disorder under less extreme circumstances, not that those who aren't as predisposed won't develop one at all.

Check out the Minnesota Starvation Experiment. If you deny your body nourishment, certain things will happen. You become obsessed with calories, cooking, how you look, etc. It's just how we react.

[CharliC]

I can see how a bodybuilding diet could lead to an unhealthy obsession with food, namly orthrexia. However, I've found bodybuilding has helped me combat my eating disorder. Some might see using it to recover from ED as a way of validating a careful diet, or simply exchanging one obsession for another, but in my opinion, something that makes an ex-anorexic such as myself feel good about eating plenty of food and about gaining weight is miraculous. It's diminished my fear of food and actually made me feel more comfortable about deviating from 'clean' eating every now and then.

[gynoid]

Originally Posted by SophieM

...

Check out the Minnesota Starvation Experiment. If you deny your body nourishment, certain things will happen. You become obsessed with calories, cooking, how you look, etc. It's just how we react.

I went and had a read about it - how interesting!

[Beklet]

Bodybuilding doesn't but there are some aspects of it than can have an effect.

I have noticed recently, that I have become almost obsessed with food, about eating so many times a day, about how much of it is protein, carbs etc. For me, that is unhealthy.

Years ago, before I ever went on any kind of diet, I ate what I wanted and irony of ironies, was pretty much the size and weight I'm struggling to get to now.

Worrying about what I eat has too many consequences for me - so much time spent reading labels, and eating things I think I 'should' eat, rather than what I need to eat, not being sociable because I 'can't' eat what everyone else is, worrying about my weight and size, trying to fit in meals and losing concentration at work because I know I 'should' be eating in an hour or so, the list goes on.

Yes, I want to be healthy, yes I want to lose the fat, but for me, obsessing about food is not the way to do it.

I have finally decided just to eat what I think I need to eat instead of what I think I should be eating and the sense of relief is massive!

SO what I mean to say is it doesn't necessarily cause an eating disorder but it has been shown that diets can make people more obsessed with their body image, and also everything that goes with it.

[Beklet]

Originally Posted by SophieM

Check out the Minnesota Starvation Experiment. If you deny your body nourishment, certain things will happen. You become obsessed with calories, cooking, how you look, etc. It's just how we react.

That's pretty much what I meant to say..... :P