Table 2 Motives to exercise in the young men with drive for thinness (DT) or with bulimic behavior (BB) compared to the men without disordered eating behavior (DEB)
All (n = 2,096) | DT (n = 114) | BB (n = 77) | No DEB (n = 1,951) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | |
Health/fitness-related | ||||
Promoting health | 1753 (86) | 97 (87) | 56 (74)** | 1635 (86) |
Improving or maintaining muscular strength and/or physical performance | 1642 (81) | 82 (75) | 52 (68)** | 1539 (81) |
Enhancing muscle mass | 1470 (72) | 74 (67) | 56 (74) | 1373 (72) |
Reducing stress | 1140 (56) | 74 (67)* | 46 (61) | 1046 (55) |
Enjoyment-related | ||||
Enjoying the feelings of euphoria gained by exercise | 1542 (76) | 87 (80) | 58 (77) | 1430 (76) |
Increasing energy | 1473 (73) | 89 (81)* | 55 (74) | 1361 (72) |
Improving spirits | 1469 (72) | 83 (76) | 54 (72) | 1364 (72) |
Enjoying heavy exertion | 1093 (54) | 69 (63)* | 42 (57) | 1007 (54) |
Body-related | ||||
Enhancing appearance | 1281 (63) | 86 (78)** | 44 (58) | 1178 (63) |
Body acceptance | 1147 (57) | 91 (82)*** | 55 (73)** | 1033 (55) |
Increasing sex appeal | 1021 (51) | 72 (64)** | 42 (55) | 929 (50) |
Weight loss | 731 (36) | 84 (76)*** | 39 (51)** | 634 (34) |
Social engagement-related | ||||
Helping relationships | 1090 (54) | 62 (58) | 44 (60) | 1010 (54) |
Improving respect from peers | 754 (37) | 55 (51)** | 39 (52)** | 681 (36) |
Competing and succeeding in athletics or sports | 694 (34) | 33 (30) | 36 (47)* | 645 (34) |
Suggestion of a friend or family member | 391 (19) | 39 (36)*** | 31 (42)*** | 339 (18) |