EATING DISORDERS, BODY IMAGE CONCERNS AND EXERCISE IN YOUNG FINNISH WOMEN

Purpose: Body image concerns are common among women with eating disorders. Our aim was to compare body image concerns and exercise in women with and without eating disorders. Methods: Women diagnosed with lifetime eating disorders (n=159) and randomly selected women without eating disorders (n=163), from the 1975–1979 birth cohort of Finnish twins, completed self-report surveys that assessed body image concerns and exercise and the impact on their private, social and professional lives. Results: Compared to women from the general population, women with eating disorders were more likely to express excessive body image concerns, exercise nearly every day, set goals for exercise and use exercise as a form of self-punishment. They also reported spending significantly more time and money on worrying about and managing their appearance, and body image concerns had a more negative impact on their private, social and professional lives. Conclusions: Body image concerns and driven exercise are common among women, but women with a history of eating disorders invest more time in them and report more negative consequences.