Objective: The aim of this study was to carry out a preliminary study of the proposed Continuum Model of Obligatory Exercise, which states that obligatory exercise lies on a continuum--a continuum that is characterized not only by differences in severity, but by qualitative differences in the way the syndrome manifests, as the behaviour changes from mildly obsessive attitudes to exercise, to extremely disordered attitudes to exercise, which are accompanied by an eating disorder.
Method: Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to investigate the Continuum Model of Obligatory Exercise utilizing data from a longitudinal study of female triathletes.
Results: The structural model specifying the hypothesized causal pathways confirmed many of the postulates of the Continuum Model of Obligatory Exercise, including the role of weight and shape preoccupation in predicting food restriction, eating disorder behaviour, and increased obligatory exercise behaviour, as well as the role of obsessive-compulsiveness and increased physical activity in predicting eating disorder behaviour in exercisers.
Conclusion: The structural model investigated is reasonable and can serve as a starting point for a theory-based empirical exploration of the notion that obligatory exercise behaviour lies on a continuum.