Vigorexia

Addiction to exercise or bigorexia is a disorder in which people do exercise or sports continuously. These people are always forcing their bodies to the maximum, without considering the consequences.

Some symptoms are:

· Looking in the mirror constantly, and still feeling bad.

· Investing all possible hours to exercise to build up muscles.

· Weighing themselves several times a day.

· Comparing themselves with others who practice Bodybuilding (Bodybuilding is the sport most related with this disorder).

People with bigorexia try to obtain the perfect figure and are influenced by the actual models proposed by society. Athletes who want to be the best in their disciplines and therefore, demand more from their bodies until they reach their goals can also suffer this disorder.

People addicted to exercise practice exercise without caring about climate conditions. They will keep exercising even if they feel pain or are injured. If they cannot exercise or if someone criticises them, they will get angry and feel guilty.

These people will spend several hours a day exercising and cannot stop even for one day. Often times these hours are spent at a gym; making the gym almost seem like a second home.

These people have personality characteristics similar to those who suffer from other types of addictions. They have low self esteem, and experience extreme difficulties in social situations. They are introverted and reject or have difficulties accepting their body image. This obsession with the body is very similar to the characteristics people with anorexia may experience.

Consequences

Several health problems and injuries can occur when exercising excessively.

Disproportion between body parts is common. For example, a person could have a strong and big body with a small head.

The lifting of heavy weights in the gym can affect bones, tendons, muscles, and joints.

The diet people who are experiencing bigorexia consume is another frequent and important problem. These people consume too much protein and carbohydrates and too little fat. Their goal is to increase muscle mass. This practice can cause disorders with other organs (especially the kidneys) and metabolism.

The use of anabolic steroids is another concern associated with bigorexia. People with bigorexia will use these steroids because they believe they will be more physically fit and increase muscle mass. The use of these substances can be very dangerous!  These drugs can produce an abnormal development of male characteristics of the body, as well as irregular menstrual cycles, shrinkage of the testes, a reduced sperm count, acne, cardiac problems, and water retention.

It is important to keep in mind that these drugs do not enhance muscular strength, agility or resistance; they just change appearance.

Treatment

Culture, society and education are the main factors involved in the cause of this disorder. These people are constantly exposed to these factors. However, there is evidence of hormonal and central nervous system biochemical disorders involved in bigorexia. That’s why treatment should concentrate on both behavioral modification as well as the physical part.

The emotional environment provided by friends and family will play a very important part in the healing process. Friends and family will need to provide support to the person who is trying to reduce their exercise habits.

It will be necessary to help people with bigorexia to reduce their need for a long and intense exercise routine.  We can help by convincing them to practice other type of activities that are less harmful for their body.

The need to have an ideal body image does not suggest that the person has a psychological disorder.  However, we should always be aware that there is a higher probability of having one for those people who have bigorexia.