Exercise is often viewed in a positive light. It is widely accepted in today's society that a healthy diet and regular physical activity will lead to a long and healthy life. And in the simplest sense, it will. It is a proven method for controlling and losing weight, improving a person's mood, increasing energy, combating various health problems and diseases, promoting better sleep habits, and even increasing libido. (Mayo Clinic, July 23, 2011). So, given that all of these benefits are possible and probable, why could this be anything other than good? Surely something with so many benefits can't be a bad thing? However, we can overlook the fact that it is like any good thing; in excess it can quickly become dangerous. In society, there are more and more athletes who push themselves to the point of making themselves sick. Whatever happened to exercising for fun or competing for the love of the sport? The motivations behind an individual's exercise habits are directly related to whether or not they develop an addiction. There is even a term for this phenomenon of overexercise: exercise addiction, or exercise addiction. Exercise addiction is a craving that a person would experience, manifesting itself in the form of compulsivity related to exercise behavior. This can manifest as physiological symptoms, such as withdrawal, or psychological signs like anxiety and depression. (Hausenblaus, Downs. 2000). Some of these psychological symptoms can be seen in anyone who is competitive and/or elite in their chosen sport, but this does not necessarily mean they are “addicted.” Such behaviors are not nearly as likely to be observed in a moderately controlling environment as they are to be at greater risk for addiction. Research still needs to clarify many facets of this scourge, so that the general public can access it and be informed on the subject. If this goal is achieved, the incidence of exercise addiction should decline and ultimately become only a shadow of its current state. .gov/scienceofaddiction/brain.htmlhttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32573781/ns/health-fitness/t/runners-high-can-turn-real-addiction/#.Ttg0LPLTpMYhttp://www .anorexiaathletica.com/Carroll, D., S. Rodgers, I. Cockerill and D. Bamber. “Diagnostic Criteria for Exercise Addiction in Women.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. British Journal of Sports Medicine, October 2003. Web. December 4. 2011. .