Wanting to maintain and sculpt your body is undoubtedly a good thing. However, dedicating your daily life to it to have the most perfect body possible is a psychological illness:bigorexia. And unfortunately, its consequences on physical and mental health are not negligible.
Anorexia is a symptom corresponding to a loss of appetite, while bulimia is characterized by a pathological relationship to food in terms of excess. Did you know that there is also a disorder related to dependence on physical activity ? This is bigorexia, precisely described in a Health Magazine publication. In 1970, the American psychiatrist William Glasser identified this disease and since 2011, the World Health Organization (WHO) considers it dangerous. Bigorexia therefore logically concerns athletes, but especially endurance sports enthusiasts or bodybuilding.
In 2019, a study estimated that almost 6 million French people had a gym membership. Among these people, there are addicts (about 4%), that is to say those who want to have a perfect body and keep it. Bigorexia most often affects young men practicing bodybuilding, fitness, but also other sports such as rowing or cycling.
This addiction to physical activity generates discomfort in these people if the activity in question is not practiced every day. You should know that they organize their days according to their sports sessions and often have an obsession for weight and performance . The notions of losing weight and sculpting a perfect body are essential elements in cases of bigorexia.
Only, this addiction can cause psychological problems and damage health in general. This can, for example, cause general exhaustion, fractures, tendonitis, muscle tears or even a heart attack. The fact is that many addicts insist on continuing to practice their sport despite an injury. This can also impact their social relationships , family and professional.
At the level of the causes, it could be that the addiction is boosted by the production of endorphins . These bring a feeling of well-being during sports sessions. Other possible causes are rather psychological:emotional emptiness, lack of self-confidence , etc. Finally, treating bigorexia is entirely possible through sports psychology therapy. Nevertheless, there is a risk of replacing this addiction with another.
