When is exercise actually unhealthy? A new book by onetime Charlottesville resident Peach Friedman provides one answer: Exercise is unhealthy when it strips enough weight from a young woman’s frame to alarm her family and friends. Diary of an Exercise Addict is Friedman’s memoir about the period when, as a 21-year-old, she slashed her caloric intake while running as much as 10 miles a day. She lost 46 pounds before her family intervened and got her into treatment.
Asked what signs might alert someone to possible exercise bulimia in a sister or friend, Friedman (who, having recovered, is now a personal trainer and a spokesperson for the National Eating Disorders Association) said, “The first thing that I look for is your relationship with exercise interfering with your life. Are you avoiding social functions, dates, work…are you prioritizing exercise above all else?” Other telltale signs: equating food with exercise (as in, I ate cake so I need to run an extra mile) and an overly strict, regimented exercise schedule.
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Peach Friedman, onetime Charlottesvillian, exposes the reality of exercise bulimia in her new book. |
If you do suspect that someone you know has an exercise addiction, Friedman says the most helpful thing to do is to encourage her to get professional help. “As a friend, you don’t want to take on your friend’s case,” she says. “You want to say I’m concerned about you; let me help you find some help.” The National Eating Disorders Association is at (800) 931-2237.—Erika Howsare
