The Power of Leisure: “I Was an Anorexic; I'm Now a Healthy Triathlete”

Abstract

This autoethnographic account describes the ambiguities of the author's ongoing struggle with anorexia nervosa and how leisure was integral to her quasi-recovery from the illness. By showing the emotional and mental struggles of the illness, this paper offers an alternative to the traditional scientific studies of the illness that buries people's voices beneath layers of analysis. The purpose of the paper is to extend and deepen an understanding of both anorexia and the power that leisure can have in stimulating an individual's recovery from anorexia nervosa. The paper also offers an alternative to the traditional thought that exercise plays a negative role in eating disorders.

Keywords:

• anorexia nervosa
• autoethnography
• eating disorder
• leisure
• triathlon