Differences among females who exercise for "bulimic" and "nonbulimic" reasons

Attitudes and behaviors were assessed in women who exercise "to work off" food consumed ("bulimic" exercisers) and women who do not use exercise with that objective ("nonbulimic" exercisers). The results indicated that the "bulimic" exercisers exhibited more symptoms of obligatory exercise, eating disturbance, body dissatisfaction, and lowered self-esteem, than did the nonbulimic exercisers. Women in the "bulimic" group who reported exercising for reasons related to weight loss or appearance (the "bulimic/body dissatisfied" exercisers), indicated even greater disturbance on these measures.