Exercise addiction and eating disorders
Most of us think of exercise as something positive – a way to improve our physical health, boost our mood and support our overall wellbeing. But for some people, exercise can become more than just a healthy habit. When the drive to exercise becomes overwhelming or compulsive, it can have a significant impact on both physical and mental health, and may be closely linked to disordered eating.
In our latest tastelife lunchtime webinar, we explored the relationship between exercise addiction and eating disorders with George Mycock from MyoMinds, an organisation that researches and raises awareness of the mental health of exercisers and athletes. Hosted by Cherry, tastelife's Online Learning and Youth Lead, the discussion looked at why exercise addiction can be difficult to recognise, how it connects with eating disorders, and what recovery and support can look like.
The conversation highlights some key points and shares insights that can help increase understanding of these often misunderstood challenges.
Cherry: Today we're joined by George. George, would you introduce yourself and say a little bit about the work that you do?
George: Thank you for having me. I'm George, the founder of MyoMinds. We do a lot of work around knowledge creation and research, creating training tools regarding healthy relationships with exercise, disordered eating, and body image issues. I'm also a PhD candidate at the University of Worcester—about four weeks away from submitting my thesis, so I’m a bit of a shell of a human currently! I’m also a research associate at the University of Exeter.
Exercise as 'medicine'
Cherry: We're here to talk about the link between exercise addiction and eating disorders. We're all encouraged to exercise because it's a good thing, so how do we approach this in a balanced way so it doesn't tip into addiction?
George: It’s a great question. Exercise is often called a 'wonder drug.' I often get a grimace when I bring up the fact that exercise could be a problem, but the metaphor I use is that if exercise is medicine, we have to look at the label. Just like any medicine, the bottle has a label listing side effects or risks of addiction. That doesn't mean we shouldn't take it, but we need to be aware of the risks so that if we experience them, we can reconsider the 'dose' or our relationship with it. We want a nuanced approach—both the front label, which tells us about how it can help, and the back label which lists side-effects.
Personal experience
Cherry: You mentioned previously that you have personal experience with exercise addiction and an eating disorder. Could you share more about that?
George: The primary reason I started MyoMinds was my own lived experience. My background was in sport science and nutrition; I worked as a strength coach with international athletes and identified as a bodybuilder.
When I was 13, I broke my spine playing rugby. I spent a year out of school waiting for surgery and recovering. When I finally went back, I had gained weight from being immobile and emotionally eating. People treated me differently, and I attributed that entirely to my body changing. I started losing weight, and the faster I lost it, the more praise I got. I was meeting the criteria for anorexia, though I hadn't hit the specific BMI threshold yet.
I internalized the 'fitness industry' look—six-pack, big arms—and tried to force muscle growth while fearing body fat. I engaged in purging and extreme 'bulk and cut' cycles. It got to the point where I was passing out in the gym, but I saw it as a sign that I was 'too weak' rather than doing something wrong. Eventually, I became suicidal. I’m fortunate that a friend checked on me, and urged me to seek help. It took months to unpick the fact that the exercise and diet were the actual problems.
The turning point
Cherry: What helped you start your recovery?
George: My counselor worked with me on my identity. So much of who I was had been replaced by how my body looked. For me, it was wrapped up in masculinity—the idea that being 'tough' and pushing harder made me a good person. We worked on finding things I liked about myself that weren't related to my body. He tasked me with writing a list of things I liked about myself every day. For the first few months, I couldn't write anything. I’d lost touch with every other aspect of myself. Over time, I started recognising that I made friends laugh or was there for people, which became new parts of my identify. Once I stopped being dependent on exercise for my entire identity, the addiction started to fall away.
RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport)
Cherry: You mentioned 'Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport' (RED-S). Can you tell us more about that?
George: RED-S is a term that replaced the 'female athlete triad' because it affects all genders. It happens when your energy expenditure (exercise) far outweighs your energy intake (food). Your body goes into an 'energy-saving mode,' slowing down biological processes. This can lead to the loss of a menstrual cycle, weakened bones (osteoporosis), and a compromised immune system.
While it’s common in those with eating disorders, it can also happen by accident. For example, an athlete might listen to an influencer saying pasta or pizza is 'bad.' They switch to low-energy foods like rice cakes and vegetables. They might still eat to the point where they feel full (satiated), but they aren't getting enough actual energy to fuel their training.
Tips for balance
Cherry: What are your top tips for someone who feels they are becoming too 'blinkered' with their diet or exercise?
George: 1. Celebrate Rest: Even from a performance standpoint, rest is necessary. Elite athletes use 'periodization'—slowly increasing intensity and then taking planned time off to recover. Rest makes you a better athlete.
2. Build a Pyramid, Not a Pillar: I steal this from Dr. Amy Izycky. Many people build their identity on a single 'pillar' of being an athlete. If you get injured, the pillar falls. Instead, build a 'pyramid' where the base is made of many things: being funny, kind, smart, or a good friend. If the 'athlete' part of the pyramid takes a hit, the whole structure doesn't collapse.
Closing thoughts
Cherry: That’s a lovely way of summarising it. It’s about balance and having a wider perspective rather than being narrowed on one thing.
George: Exactly. Exercise addiction is a combination of dependency and compulsion. It’s the difference between wanting to exercise and needing to exercise. The 'wanting' starts simply: I do some exercise, I start making friends, and my anxiety goes down because exercise genuinely helps with those things. I want to keep doing it for those benefits. But that can easily switch to a 'need.' Suddenly, I feel I need to keep doing this, otherwise I might lose those friends, the anxiety might come back, or my body might change and I’ll lose that positive praise. That is where dependency happens.
Building the 'identity pyramid' helped me switch back from needing to wanting. I could finally accept that exercise wasn't the only thing making people like me or making me a worthy person. It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, but it allowed me to have the choice to do something different.
Q&A session
L: 'What is George’s relationship to exercise now? Does he still do it and enjoy it, and how does he ensure his identity doesn't get wrapped up in it again?'
George: It’s difficult. A lot of my research focuses on men and help-seeking. Often, men don't want to seek help because they don't want to lose the 'benefits' of their disordered behavior—they still get the endorphin rush and the societal praise. For me, I still write my lists of things I like and respect about myself, especially on days when I'm not feeling it naturally.
I also focus on finding fun. Exercise used to be about the 'optimal path' to a goal. Now, I make sure there is an element of fun. I actually do enjoy lifting weights—it’s meditative for me—but if a certain exercise feels bad one day, I’ll just try something else that looks fun. I still have bad days where I feel myself slipping into 'needing' it, but I use constant reflection to pull myself back.
Identity in professional sports
M: The 'pillar versus pyramid' idea reminds me of a story about an American football player who struggled with mental health issues after a career-ending injury at 25. It seemed his whole identity was 'football player.'
George: Absolutely. Many elite athletes struggle with this because their whole lives have been spent training, and everyone around them celebrates them only for that. It’s hard to keep an identity separate from that. Some youth academies are starting to educate athletes in other areas to remind them they are more than just their sport, which is so important given how few actually make it to the professional level.
Educating health professionals
A: How do you educate professionals on differentiating between helpful and unhelpful exercise?
George: It’s a challenge. I recently did a talk for Nike staff, and these conversations can be hard because people feel you are questioning their livelihood. I use the medicine analogy again: side effects don't mean the medicine is 'bad,' just that we need to monitor it.
I also lean into the performance side. If you have a better relationship with food and your body, you will actually be a better athlete. I teach them that exercise addiction isn't about the numbers (miles run or calories burned); it’s about the relationship. Is it fuelled by 'want' or 'need'? Is it fuelled by enjoyment or by guilt and fear? I tell coaches to be careful not to guilt-trip athletes into training, because while it works short-term, it leads to burnout and injury down the line.
Advice for parents
A (Parent): My 14-year-old daughter has an unhealthy relationship with exercise. Is it appropriate to restrict her exercise, or will that make the control issues worse?
George: I’m not a clinician, but I can say that taking it away completely can be very difficult. Often, exercise is the one thing a person clings to for comfort while they are struggling with food.
Marie: I’m reminded of a family where the father made a 'deal' with his daughter: if her clinical markers and blood tests stayed at a healthy level, she could play badminton. It made it a collaborative goal rather than a punishment.
George: Yes, the International Olympic Committee has a 'traffic light' system for RED-S. For those in the 'red' (high risk/eating disorder), they often suggest a verbal contract: you can do certain activities if you meet specific nutritional or health markers. It’s definitely something to discuss with her clinical team.
Closing
Cherry: Thank you, George, for joining us. If people want to find you, they can search for "Myo Minds" online. Thank you everyone for attending!
Final thoughts
Exercise can be a wonderful source of joy, strength, and connection. But when self-worth becomes dependent on performance, appearance, or rigid routines, it can quietly shift into something harmful.
The conversation around eating disorders often focuses on food alone, but relationships with exercise deserve equal attention.
By encouraging balance, rest, self-awareness, and broader identities beyond fitness, we can begin creating healthier conversations around movement and mental health, both for ourselves and for the people around us.
For more support and resources: