Exercise dependence is a common feature of eating disorders, anorexia and bulimia alike. However, the ever-astute Cathy pointed out on yesterday's post on exercise bulimia that the term really isn't that well-defined. Some people use the term to mean anyone who exercises to purge calories has exercise bulimia, whether or not they binge and purge or if their weight is "normal." Of course, I had a massive exercise dependence during both the strict AN phases of my disorder, and also for many of the phases in which I was diagnosed with EDNOS. Exercise was a way to rid myself of unwanted calories, either standard daily intake or if I ate more than I thought I should. Out-of-control binges were a much rarer phenomenon for me, so I never had a disorder that would meet the criteria for bulimia.

As the always-fabulous Cindy Bulik pointed out this afternoon on Twitter, there is a clinical difference in the different phenomena that are described under the umbrella of "exercise bulimia." Binge eating + excessive exercise = non-purging bulimia nervosa. Excessive exercise + low weight = anorexia nervosa.

Although I do understand the need to develop different formal definitions for the different disorders in which abuse of exercise is present, the existence od exercise dependence is common to many EDs. Both someone with BN and AN can have exercise dependence, but exercise bulimia doesn't have a formal definition. It is sadly common and underdiagnosed, but take the use of the term "exercise bulimia" with a grain of salt. I wish they would just address exercise addiction, or exercise dependence, or compulsive exercise* and leave it at that. These terms would also capture the significant number of people with EDNOS.

*For what it's worth, I use these terms somewhat interchangably. I know there are probably minor differences in precisely what they mean, but I think they all describe the same thing. English class dismissed.