Physical activity levels in anorexia nervosa patients

Abstract

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is an eating disorder which is predominant in young females and characterized by an induced weight loss and supported by the own patient. It induces progressive malnutrition and peculiar psychopathologic features like body-image distortion and fear of obesity (Moreno Villares, 2003). AN has important impacts in multiple organs and systems. One of the most deteriorated systems is the skeletal muscle tissue. Bone mass is also usually affected. The aforementioned problems are strongly related to the total amount and type of physical activity during the growth phase as shown in previous several cross and longitudinal studies (Calbet et al., 2001, Valdimarsson et al., 2006, Vicente-Rodriguez et al., 2004, 2006). Elevated physical activity levels are commonly observed among patients with AN manifested in several forms like collective activities, running, walking pacing and fidgeting behaviours among others, all of which could play an etiologic role in development of AN in some patients (Davis et al., 1997). Physical activity is assumed to facilitate weight loss in AN and is associated with poorer outcome to the treatment (Carter et al., 2004; Strober et al. 1997). The purpose to this study was to describe the physical activity levels of AN patients using accelerometry technology.