<![CDATA[In recent years, excessive exercise has received increasing attention due to its potential to develop into exercise addiction, a condition in which individuals lose control over their exercise behavior and begin to perceive it as a psychological necessity. This condition is not limited to professional athletes but also occurs among gym members in the general population. One psychological factor assumed to contribute to exercise addiction is body dissatisfaction, defined as negative evaluations of one’s body shape that may drive individuals to increase the intensity and frequency of exercise compulsively. This study aimed to examine the relationship between body dissatisfaction and exercise addiction among gym members. A quantitative correlational design was employed. The sample consisted of 110 active gym members recruited using quota sampling. The instruments used were the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire–Appearance Scales (MBSRQ-AS) to measure body dissatisfaction and the Exercise Addiction Inventory (EAI) to assess exercise addiction. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation. The results revealed a positive and significant relationship between body dissatisfaction and exercise addiction (r = 0.271; p = 0.004). The coefficient of determination (r² = 0.073) indicates that body dissatisfaction accounts for 7.3% of the variance in exercise addiction, while the remaining 92.7% is explained by other factors not examined in this study. These findings suggest that higher levels of body dissatisfaction are associated with a greater tendency toward exercise addiction. Theoretically, this study contributes to the literature in health and sport psychology by providing empirical evidence on the role of body dissatisfaction as a psychological risk factor for addictive exercise behavior among non-athlete populations. Practically, the findings may inform the development of preventive and educational programs promoting healthy self-regulation in exercise contexts. ]]>
