A Thin Line: A Narrative Investigation.

摘要

This qualitative study explored the question What is the experience of a woman who uses excessive exercise to control her weight? A literature review of material pertinent to eating disorders, excessive exercise, body image issues, aging process, and denial was conducted. Exercise is defined as excessive not for the amount of time devoted to it, but rather by the emotionality involved in the physical activity performed. The narrative model was used to analyze the in depth interviews of six females between the ages of 42 and 60 years old. Several themes emerged from the data collected: the participants' compulsion to exercise in spite of their social occupations or their physical limitations, their signs of denial or lack of awareness of the relationship between their food intake and their physical exercise, their vulnerability to their own perception as well as the perception of others regarding their physical appearance and how that affects their motivation to work out, their fear of gaining weight, and their preoccupation with the aging process. The findings of this study support previous research on exercise and how it may relate to the potential development of an eating disorder. The purpose of this study is not to diagnose those who exercise excessively, but rather to help women who exercise vigorously to become aware of the potential risks of those activities that are usually linked to health and wellbeing, and how they can turn into serious threats to people's lives when performed in excess. This research intends to contribute to the body of knowledge for future investigations, as well as to society at large, in order to heighten public awareness of how something as wholesome and well intended as exercise can pose such a serious threat to people's lives when taken to extremes.