The Effects of Exercise in Obese Women with Bulimia Nervosa

Abstract

Purpose: Obesity has been identified as a risk factor for the development of bulimia nervosa (BN) in those who try to lose weight. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of walking exercise in order to provide a method for overcoming bulimia nervosa in obese young women suffering from bulimia nervosa. Methods: Twenty obese women with bulimia nervosa (body mass index [BMI]>30) and a mean age of 22.001.50 years volunteered to participate in this study. They were randomly assigned to exercise (n=10) and control (n=10) groups. Both groups underwent anthropometric measurements and blood analysis before and after the training program. Exercise program included 30-minute walking sessions at 5075% of maximal heart rate, 3 days per week and for 2 months. Results: After 2 months significant changes were observed in all anthropometric variables (P Conclusion: This study demonstrated that moderate aerobic exercises such as moderate walking are suitable behavior therapies for overcoming bulimia nervosa in obese young women.