Fitspo: Obsessive exercise puts teens at risk of eating disorders

EXERCISE is becoming a life-threatening habit among Aussie youth obsessively hitting the gym in the quest for a perfect ‘fitspo’ figure, experts warn.

Stretching before Fitness & Exercise THINKSTOCK

HEALTH experts are warning parents that obsessive exercise can be linked to life-threatening eating disorders in teens, amid an explosion of social media accounts promoting unrealistic and ultra-fit figures.

The Butterfly Foundation, a nationwide organisation set up to help Australians living with body image disorders including Anorexia Nervosa, is urging parents to be aware of the signs which indicate their teenager’s relationship with exercise is becoming unhealthy.

The warning comes amid fears the proliferation of social media accounts promoting fitness models, active wear labels and #fitspo (fitness inspiration) is fostering a generation of body conscious teens who think compulsive exercise is necessary to look like the people they ‘follow’ on platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest.

Obsession ... The rising populating of fitness models, active wear labels, and #fitspo images is putting teens at risk of developing unhealthy exercise habits. Picture: Thinkstock

The Butterfly Foundation’s chief executive Christine Morgan said young people often experience intense body dissatisfaction by comparing themselves to others on social media.

“Young people today spend a lot of their time on social media and are therefore continuously bombarded with images that often promote unrealistic, unobtainable and highly stylised appearance ideas which have often been fabricated by digital manipulation and cannot be achieved in real life,” she said.

Ms Morgan said exercise habits go from being healthy to unhealthy when young people start giving up other social activities to go to the gym, become anxious, depressed or aggressive when they cannot exercise, or focus primarily on the weight loss benefits of their exercise regime.

Tell-tale sign ... Exercise regimes can become unhealthy if teens skip social outings to go to the gym. Picture: Thinkstock

“Obsessive exercise alone is not a form of anorexia, but it can indicate the presence of an eating disorder,” she said.

Psychologist and eating disorder specialist with the University of Sydney Sarah Young agrees the proliferation of social media accounts promoting extreme fitness and unrealistic body images can be “extremely harmful” to young people.

Ms Young said while a balanced exercise regime is beneficial for overall physical and mental health, for many young people “what starts out as a positive change in their exercise routine can easily escalate beyond control”.

On watch for warnings ... Obsessive exercise can indicate the presence of an eating disorder. Picture: Thinkstock

She said parents should also be on the lookout for other signals of an unhealthy relationship with exercise, including a tendency to exercise alone, continuing to exercise through sickness or injury, or exercising at strange times of the day.

Ms Young said parents should try to talk openly with their child if they have any concerns about compulsive exercise patterns, or consult their local GP.

Parents who are concerned about their children can seek advice, support and access to resources by calling Butterfly’s National Support Line on 1800 33 4673 or email [e-mail]