Abstract
The objective of the present study was two-fold: Firstly, to investigate unhealthy eating patterns and body mass index among individuals following a vegetarian diet and those following an omnivorous diet. Secondly, to examine interaction between vegetarian versus omnivorous diet and unhealthy eating patterns (orthorexia nervosa, cognitive restraint) and body mass index using a structural equation modeling approach (SEM). The study included 370 participants: 188 participants following a vegetarian diet and 182 following an omnivorous diet. Unhealthy eating patterns and body mass index were measured. Our results showed that individuals following a vegetarian diet were more likely to engage in orthorexic eating behavior compared to individuals following an omnivorous diet. In addition, they had a significantly lower levels of cognitive restraint and lower body mass index than individuals following an omnivorous diet. Use of SEM method showed that: (1) following a vegetarian diet and orthorexia nervosa were directly associated, (2) following an omnivorous diet and cognitive restraint were directly related and (3) following an omnivorous diet had a greater tendency to cognitive restraint and an elevated body mass index. More research is necessary to further understand the complexity of the relationship between type of diet and unhealthy eating patterns in adults.
Highlights
In recent years, there has been an increased number of individuals following a vegetarian diet [1].The main motives for following a free-meat diet include health, moral, economy, ecology, environment, society, culture, ethics and religion [1]
Structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to examine the structural relationship between type of diet, unhealthy eating patterns and body mass index in adults
The asymptotically distribution-free (ADF) method was used because the critical ratio (CR) [−2, 2] and skew/kurtosis [−1, 1] for all variables did not fit in the adequate range [32]
Summary
There has been an increased number of individuals following a vegetarian diet [1].The main motives for following a free-meat diet include health, moral, economy, ecology, environment, society, culture, ethics and religion [1]. There has been an increased number of individuals following a vegetarian diet [1]. In some cases, interest in healthy food consumption and health could lead to orthorexia nervosa—an obsessional focus on a diet considered to be healthy, focusing on concerns regarding the quality of food, with overly care for one’s health [4]. This unhealthy eating pattern is associated with excessive time spent preparing food, inflexible dietary rules, recurrent and persistent preoccupations related to “pure” or “clean”
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