Exploring the role of mindful eating and self-compassion on eating behaviours and orthorexia in people following a vegan diet

Abstract

Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is a new concept that is more prevalent in vegan populations. ON is characterised by obsessive focus on healthy eating, following restrictive dietary practices and dietary restrictions escalating over time. The aim of this study was to explore problematic eating behaviours in a vegan population, and to explore whether mindful eating and self-compassion have an impact on ON. Two hundred and eighty-seven females and twenty-eight males who followed a vegan diet completed scales in Orthorexia, Self-Compassion, Mindful, Emotional, External and Restraint Eating. The results indicated that individuals with high levels of ON display low levels of self-compassion, and high levels of restrained eating. Moreover, the findings indicated that self-compassion, but not mindful eating, partially mediated the relationship between restrained eating and orthorexia nervosa. The present results contribute to a better understanding of orthorexic eating behaviours in a vegan population, and identifies the mediating capacity of self-compassion. Further implications and future directions are discussed.Level of evidence: Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study.