Perceived ideal body weight exacerbates bulimia and dieting in Bodybuilding Athletes

Bodybuilding athletes often pursue a highly muscular, lean, and symmetrical physique, leading them to adopt rigorous exercise routines and strict diets. These practices can sometimes result in disordered eating behaviors. This study examines factors that may worsen disordered eating among both professional and recreational bodybuilding and strength athletes. The cross-sectional study involved 103 Cypriot athletes of both sexes, categorized into professional, recreational, and strength athletes. Researchers used the Eating Attitude Test 26 (EAT-26) and The Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-R21) to assess disordered eating and eating behaviors. Differences based on sex were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test, while differences related to bodybuilding status and body weight deviations were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. The study, conducted under the Hellenic Center of Education & Treatment of Eating Disorders (KEADD), found that greater discrepancies between ideal and actual body weight increased the risk of eating disorders. Athletes desiring a lower body weight had higher EAT-26 scores, particularly in dieting and bulimia subscales. Non-professional athletes showed higher cognitive restraint and emotional eating scores, with women scoring higher on emotional eating. The findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to reduce eating disorder risks among bodybuilding athletes.

Year: 2021

Reference: Efthymiou, D., Kokokiris, L., Mesiari, C., & Vassilopoulou, E. (2021). Perceived ideal body weight exacerbates bulimia and dieting in Bodybuilding Athletes. Toxicology reports, 8, 1777–1782. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxrep.2021.10.007