Background: Exercise addiction (EA) and eating disorders (ED) frequently co-occur in both professional and amateur athletes, with up to 48% of individuals with EA also exhibiting symptoms of ED. Furthermore, pathological attachment styles have been linked to both EA and ED. The current study aimed to explore the unique association between types of insecure attachment styles (i.e., anxiety or avoidance) and EA and ED. Method: Four hundred and five Israelis (199 women, 206 men) who were recreational exercisers (i.e., exercised at least four hours a week for at least one year) with ages ranging from 18 to 78 (M = 38, SD = 12.31) completed a set of questionnaires, including the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), Exercise Addiction Inventory, and the Experiences in Close Relationship Scale. Path analysis was used to simultaneously examine the associations of attachment anxiety and avoidance with EA and ED symptoms. Attachment anxiety and avoidance were specified as independent variables predicting ED and EA symptoms and were entered into the analysis as two parallel dependent variables. Results: The results of the study indicate that attachment anxiety is positively associated with symptoms of EDs, while the association between attachment anxiety and symptoms of EA is not significant. On the other hand, attachment avoidance shows a positive association with symptoms of exercise addiction, but no significant association with symptoms of EDs is found. Conclusions: These results imply that the anxious attachment regulation strategy is highly associated with body image concerns. Furthermore, individuals characterized by avoidance attachment manifest regulation strategies through excessive exercise. Scholars and practitioners could use these results to examine dispositional risk factors for insecure attachment styles and to assess specific pathologies among the population of recreational exercisers. The study also discusses limitations, future directions, and implications in detail.

Setting objectives and evaluating success are intrinsically linked to motivation in sports and behavior during training and competition. According to social cognitive theory, the perception of success is divided into “task” and ”ego”, which indicate an inner orientation versus an external perspective when analyzing an athlete’s achievements. These impressions can be influenced by various factors such as maturity level, gender, and the type of activity in which they participate. The current study compares perceptions of success among parents and adolescent girls competing in kayaking in Israel. To this end, a qualitative study was conducted with 20 in-depth interviews emphasizing goal setting and individual perceptions of success. The research findings reveal that contrary to previous studies, there is a perceptual gap between the two groups, with parents measuring success primarily in terms of enjoyment and self-fulfillment, and girls referring to perceived success in the context of achievements. It was also found that there is a discrepancy between setting goals and defining success, following experience and interactions within the training. The article discusses the reasons behind these gaps and the potential ramifications for sports activity and participation.