A whole new meaning to "gym rats"
When we see someone who exercises obsessively our society tends to admire them. Can't miss a day, feel guilty if they don't go, ignore pain and injury.
What if it was a rodent running on a wheel, unable to stop despite losing weight and losing appetite and eventually... dying. Sounds different, right? Doesn't sound like virtue, or a choice, or a response to society's pressure to be thin.
Got a "gym rat" in your life?
Thanks for this post Laura. It turns out that when the rats are given access to the activity wheel AND plenty of food, they don't develop the anorexia--like symptoms. So the lesson seems to be that the rats don't need to stop exercising IF they eat enough to fuel their bodies.
ReplyDeleteAnother interesting thing is that once the rats develop the anorexia-like symptoms, their behavior changes. Not only do they often refuse food, but they also become withdrawn and anxious. Sound familiar?