The Michigan Daily-Thursday, February 3, 1983-Page 7 Runners, dieters share disorder BOSTON (AP) - Men who are obsessed with long- distance running may suffer from the same per- sonality disorder as women who starve themselves with incessant dieting, a study concludes. Unlike most recreational runners, some marathoners develop a single-minded commitment to keeping in physical shape. These "obligatory run- ners" may cover 100 miles a week, and for them, "running becomes a consuming goal that pre-empts all other interests in life," the researchers said. THE COMPARISON of runners and dieters was made by Drs. Alayne Yates, Kevin Leehey and Catherine Shisslak, all runers who are members of the psychiatry department at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center in Tucson. Their fin- dings were published in today's New England Jour- nal of Medicine. They interviewed 60 of these long-distance runners and found many similarities with women who have anorexia nervosa, a disorder in which people become dangerously thin because of dieting. "The two groups may represent a single mode of behavior," the doctors wrote. GENERALLY, THE researchers said, obligatory runners value their exercise above all else. They will run in spite of injuries such as fractures, or illness such as heart disease, when the exercise may be bad for them. "Such unreasonable dedication has resulted in permanent disability or even death," the researchers wrote. When for some reason obligatory runners cannot run, they feel anxious and depressed about physical deterioration. THE ANOREXIC, on the other hand, seeks physical attractiveness. "She is the elite among dieters, often receiving compliments for her waspish waist and translucent skin," the researchers wrote. "External appearance becomes an all-consuming in- terest; dieting is her life." No loss of weight is ever enough, and "she may eventually die in the service of her impossible dream." The researchers noted that both long-distance run- ning and anorexia have become common since the early 1970s. But while anorexia is considered a sickness, people who are consumed by running are generally thought of as dedicated athletes. THE DOCTORS found these similarities between obsessive runners and dieters.: m "The typical obligatory runner is a diet-conscious man, whereas the typical anorexic is an exercise- conscious woman." " Both are hard-working, high achievers from af- fluent families. " Both appear introverted on psychological exams and are bothered by depression. " Both seem "to be compliant, self-effacing and un- comfortable with the direct expression of anger." " Both say their pursuits give them an emotional "high." The doctors said both kinds of behavior may result from similar identity crises. Both often begin in times of personal change and self-doubt. "The gender variance may be accounted for by the fact that our culture values women for their beauty and men for their athletic prowess," they said. IT'S NOT TOO LATE! ORDER YOUR 1983 Couple held for arson 1111/ Ilieal hhh A"1 A I, 1i i~ (Continued from Page 3); Ms. Dietrich disagreed.' "THEY WERE friends of ours," she said yesterday, choking back tears during a telephone interview from a Santa Ana motel. "I've known them for' a couple of years. Our husbands work together - that's how I met Marsha." Ms. Dietrich, 40, said she, Lamar and her son by a previous marriage, Richard Lively, 17, "barely made it out" after Lively heard a smoke alarm and woke them up. Neither she nor Lamar would talk about the possibility that their spouses might have wanted them dead. "I LOVE MY husband very much," she said. Although he had asked for a divorce, "I was thinking he might come to his senses. Up until the day he left me, it was great." "I knew something was wrong. It didn't come as a surprise," Lamar, 33, said of his wife's request that he move out early last December. A week later she asked for a divorce; by Christmas, she had moved in with Wagster at the Highcrest Circle house. In early January, Lamar moved back in to complete the lease, which he alone had signed. After he moved back in, he rented a room to Ms. Dietrich and her son, but she said there was no romance between them. TODAY AND SQ'vE ' $0 UNTIL FEB. 14, 1983 rn - ------rn-rn--rn------ -- - - Please reserve my copy of the $15.00. I will pick it up in April. please add $2.00.) 1983 ENSIAN, at the price of (To have the ENSIAN mailed, Name Ann Arbor Address Mailing Address HURRY-RESERVE YOUR COPY NOWI The Writers-in -Residence Program at the Residential College Presents a Reading by JOHN DONOVA1N Author of Books for Young Adults and Executive Director of the Children's Book Council TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8 8 PM IN THE BENZINGER LIBRARY (East Quad-East University between Hill & Willard) A Reception for Mr. Donovan will follow the reading Mr. Donovan will be the speaker at the bookes for lunch meeting on February 8 at noon at the Ann Arbor Public Library. Mr. Donovan will be the guest at the Hopwood Tea, Thursday, February 10 at 3:30 PM, the Hopwood Room, 1006 Angell Hall. THE PUBLIC IS CORDIALL Y INVITED TO ALL EVENTS The Writers-in-Residence program at the Residential College is made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.