Holistic Health Radio

When recovering from disordered eating, food is often not the only aspect of your lifestyle that needs to be adjusted. Many people with eating disorders simultaneously struggle with exercise dependence and addiction.  In one study, compulsive exercise was prevalent in 31-81% of patients with anorexia nervosa and 20-66% of those suffering bulimia nervosa (Dittmer, Jacobi & Voderholzer 2018). These statistics highlight just how difficult recovery can be as many sufferers battle more than one compulsion at a time: the need to restrict combined with the urge to overcompensate.  In today's society exercise is often celebrated and congratulated, adding to the difficulty of those who are battling with these dependencies. Exercise is great for both mental and physical health but should be done in a balanced manner that doesn’t focus on calorie burning, compensation and punishment.  But how do you actually get there? That is the focus on this week’s podcast where we dissect what an unhealthy relationship with exer