Obligatory Running and Anorexia Nervosa

To the Editor.— In challenging the hypothesis that obligatory running is an analogue of anorexia nervosa, Blumenthal et al¹commit errors of their own. It is legitimate to point out the speculation and imprecision characterizing the article by Yates et al.²Yet the critique by Blumenthal and colleagues fails to appreciate the exploratory nature of the original piece and overinterprets the results of their subsequent empirical study. First, Blumenthal et al examine only one of the variety of proposed analogies between obligatory running and anorexia nervosa. Yates and collegues discussed several possibilities: (1) obligatory runners and anorexic women share certain personality characteristics and extreme concern about body size and shape, (2) obligatory running and anorexia nervosa provide individuals with a sense of control, euphoria, and enhanced self-esteem, (3) obligatory runners and anorexic persons deny physical needs, at times endangering their health and lives, and (4) cultural factors affect