Excessive Exercise: a New Definition of Health

Abstract

Absolutely unrealistic body images promoted by mass media seems to negatively affect behavior of different age groups, but is particularly evident among adolescents and young people. It results with low self-esteem, negative self-image, impaired contacts with peers, unhealthy diet and excessive exercise. The last two can also be accompanied by uncontrolled use of pharmacological agents, including prescription drugs, to achieve a desired body shape.

It's not easy to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy exercise since both may share same attributes. In recent years media willing promote, variously defined, a ‘healthy lifestyle’ as defensive shield against various civilization diseases. There are also no doubts about positive effects of sport on variety of health indicators.

The aim of the study is to answer whether it's possible to examine social context of exercise addiction. In order to do this authors prepared original questionnaire that was disseminated among participants together with Exercise Addiction Inventory (EAI). Additionally, a special emphasis was placed on previous medical records, other addictions and possible negative consequences of the behavior.

The study took place between May and October 2014.