is primary exercise addiction an addiction in its own right?

Question 1

prevalent in general population

Answer 1

• For- Studies Supporting the Existence of Primary Exercise Addiction:
• Prevalence in General Populations: Research indicates that exercise addiction can exist without co-occurring eating disorders. A systematic review reported prevalence estimates for primary exercise addiction ranging from 1% to 59% across various populations. – Diaz et al., 2021

Question 2

psychiatric correlates

Answer 2

• Psychiatric Correlates: A study found that individuals at risk for exercise addiction exhibited higher scores for symptoms of depression, ADHD, and childhood trauma, suggesting that exercise addiction may be accompanied by a disturbed psychiatric profile consistent with addictive disorders, independent of eating disorders.- college et al., 2022, however as the epidemiology of eating disiroders and these disorders are also strongly linked, this can complicate this relationship even further.

Question 3

against P exercise addiction as its own

Answer 3

• Against- * Association with Eating Disorders: Research indicates a strong link between exercise addiction and eating disorders. A study found that approximately half of individuals addicted to exercise also exhibit maladaptive eating behaviors, suggesting that what is often labeled as primary exercise addiction may, in many cases, be secondary to underlying eating disorders. – Arey et al., 2023
• • Methodological Concerns: Some studies have highlighted that research on exercise addiction often fails to adequately control for the presence of eating disorders. This oversight makes it challenging to determine whether compulsive exercise behaviors are truly primary or a manifestation of an underlying eating disorder.- Freimuth et al., 2011
• Specific to certain sports argument- * Higher Risk in Certain Athletes: The article states that elite athletes, particularly in aesthetic sports (e.g., gymnastics, ballet, figure skating), are highly vulnerable to eating disorders. Since they use exercise as a method of weight control rather than purely for intrinsic motivation, this aligns with secondary exercise addiction.Research on Overlap with Eating Disorders: Epidemiological studies show higher ED rates in athletes than in the general population, further reinforcing that compulsive exercise in this group is often driven by underlying eating concerns rather than being a standalone addiction.- Vasiliu 2023

Question 4

other arguments

Answer 4

Conflicting views
* Many studies assessing primary exercise addiction do not screen for eating
problems.
* EA deemed to be present among non-eating disordered sample (Trott et al., 2020).
* Cunningham et al., (2016) 22% of likely cases of identified problematic exercise
were not linked with any ED symptoms.
* BUT exercise addiction is three times more common in those with EDs (Trott et al.,
2021)
* Elevated levels of disordered eating symptoms in EA sample compared to controls
(Grandi et al., 2011