title: Beliefs about excessive exercise in eating disorders: the role of obsessions and compulsions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to develop an understanding of excessive exercise in eating disorders by exploring the role of exercise beliefs, obsessive beliefs and obsessive-compulsive behaviours.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-four women were recruited from eating disorder services and 75 non-clinical women were recruited from a university. Exercise beliefs and behaviours, obsessive beliefs and behaviours and eating disorder psychopathology were assessed using self-report questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was an association between exercise beliefs, obsessive beliefs and obsessive-compulsive behaviours in the eating-disordered group, but not in the non-eating-disordered group. In the eating-disordered group obsessive beliefs and obsessive-compulsive behaviours were associated with a significant proportion of variance in exercise beliefs after controlling for eating disorder psychopathology and BMI. In the non-eating-disordered group obsessive beliefs and behaviours were associated with beliefs about exercise as a method of affect regulation after controlling for BMI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results are compatible with a model in which obsessive beliefs and exercise beliefs could maintain exercise in eating disorders. This has implications for the assessment and treatment of excessive exercise. Further research is necessary to determine the causality of these relationships.
authors.affiliation: South West London and St. George's Mental Health NHS Trust, London, UK. heather.naylor@swlstg-tr.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Naylor
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mountford
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003192:Compulsive Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D003469:Culture; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009770:Obsessive Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires