PSYCHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF FEMALE RUNNERS PRESENTING WITH PATHOLOGICALWEIGHT CONTROL BEHAVIORS

The present study was conducted to determine if female distance runner s who report engaging in pathological food behaviors display the psych ological characteristics of clinically diagnosed female eating-disorde red patients. Comparisons were made among 29 eating-disturbed college runners, 31 normal college runners, 19 clinically diagnosed eating-dis ordered patients, and 34 nonathletic, non-eating-disordered college st udents. Measures included a 3-day diet journal, questionnaires collect ing both personal information and information on eating behaviors and sports participation, the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI), the Setting Conditions for Anorexia Nervosa Scale (SCANS), and the Minnesota Mult iphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Without reaching eating-disorder ed clinical levels, the eating-disturbed runners appeared on psycholog ical inventories as being more concerned with food and dieting than we re the comparison runners and non-eating-disordered nonathletes. Only the eating-disordered group presented with significant levels of psych opathology. Implications for the athletic community are discussed.