Perspectives of Canadian fitness professionals on exercise and possible anorexia nervosa

Wojtowicz, Amy E.; Alberga, Angela S.; Parsons, Colleen G.; Ranson, Kristin M. von

doi:10.1186/s40337-015-0074-y

Cited by 5 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Overall, approximately 75% of respondents reported suspecting at least one client was affected by one of these disorders, with older respondents significantly more likely to suspect, intervene, and know of guidelines. This is a slightly higher rate than in similar studies set in Canada [28,29] and Norway [12], in which 67, 62, 49% of respondents, respectively, suspected at least one client of an eating disorder (in our study the rate for eating disorders only was 77%). Our study, however, is the first to also assess suspicions of excessive exercise.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 69%

“…A little under two thirds of respondents reported confronting individuals who they suspected of having an eating disorder or exercising excessively, a similar proportion to that reported in one study focusing on eating disorders, in which fitness center employees intervened 59% of the time [28]. While it is to be expected that a certain selection bias is at work, with employees who confront clients more likely to be interested in this questionnaire, it is interesting to note that almost 50% of respondents had confronted between two and ten clients.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 59%

“…While two-thirds of these respondents found the guidelines they were aware of useful, the majority reported that new or updated guidelines would be helpful. In similar studies addressing eating disorders, the majority of respondents also wished for improved guidelines [28,29] a poll of fitness center employees assessing the information they deem valuable would seem to be an essential step for any national or international governing body. Interestingly, respondents with a university degree were significantly less likely to know of guidelines, a result not explained by age discrepancy.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The questionnaire is based on instruments used in similar studies on this topic [12,28]. It has not been validated or otherwise assessed.…”

Section: Instrumentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In line with this notion, in a study of 143 Canadian fitness center employees, 62% reported having observed a client that they believed suffered from anorexia nervosa [28]. However, only just over 25% have been trained on how to deal with such a situation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Responses of fitness center employees to cases of suspected eating disorders or excessive exercise

et al. 2020

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Background: While exercise and physical activity are important parts of a healthy life, there is evidence that some individuals exercise to a degree which may jeopardize their health. These individuals may in some cases be exercising to lose weight or compensate binge eating episodes as part of an eating disorder. Others may experience an addiction-like relationship with exercise. Fitness center employees are ideally placed to observe these forms of unhealthy behavior, and are responsible for ensuring that clients do not put themselves at undue risk; however, to date, no study has addressed both eating disorders and excessive exercise. Therefore, the aim of our study is to determine whether these employees report incidences of these issues, and if they believe they can differentiate between them. Methods: One-hundred-and-forty fitness centers in the German-speaking regions of Switzerland were contacted. Of these, 99 employees (60 men, 39 women, M age = 33.33 years, SD = 12.02) responded to an online questionnaire. The questionnaire briefly described the two issues of interest (eating disorders and excessive exercise), and then invited respondents to complete a number of questions detailing whether they had experience with these issues, and how they dealt with them.Results: Approximately 75% of the employees had suspected a client of having an eating disorder or exercising excessively, and 65% of these respondents confronted the client at least once. Interestingly, respondents reported clearly that they felt able to differentiate between the two types of disorder. Older respondents were significantly more likely to have suspicions and act on them. However, less than half of the respondents were aware of guidelines addressing this issue, and the majority desired more information about how to identify and address both disorders. Conclusions: Swiss fitness center employees frequently encounter individuals who they suspect of exercising excessively, or suffering from an eating disorder. While they often confront these individuals, they would like more detailed information about how to manage this process. Given that both disorders can potentially lead to severe health consequences, a detailed description of symptoms, management techniques and resources should be a feature in all Swiss fitness center guidelines.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 69%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 59%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The questionnaire is based on instruments used in similar studies on this topic [12,28]. It has not been validated or otherwise assessed.…”

Section: Instrumentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%