Orthorexia nervosa - a separate clinical entity, a part of eating disorder spectrum or another manifestation of obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Izabela Łucka,Teresa Plenikowska-Ślusarz,Dorota Janikowska-Hołoweńko,Małgorzata Domarecka,Patryk Domarecki

doi:10.12740/pp/onlinefirst/85729

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of orthorexia nervosa in the population of adolescents and young adults, as well as to determine whether orthorexia is a separate clinical entity, a part of eating disorder or another manifestation of obsessivecompulsive disorder. The study group consisted of 864 subjects (599 females and 265 males). The mean age of female participants was 20.21±3.27 years, and of male participants 18.93±3.67 years. As a part of the study, we used a proprietary questionnaire to collect patient data, as well as following diagnostic questionnaires: ORTO-15 by Donini et al. (Polish version validated by Janas-Kozik et al.), EAT-26 by Garner and Garfinkel, and MOCI (Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Inventory) by Hodgson and Rachman. The results were analysed statistically. 27% of subjects were found to be at risk of orthorexia nervosa (score of 35 was considered a cut-off point). These subjects achieved significantly higher scores in the EAT-26. There were no statistically significant differences in the MOCI scores. The highest risk of orthorexia was observed in subjects aged 13-16 years old (junior secondary school) and the lowest in 16-19-year-olds (senior secondary school). Individuals with suspected orthorexia tended to have significantly higher BMI. Specific analysis of environmental features will be exposed in the next issue. Orthorexia nervosa is not a separate clinical entity. It does not belong to the OCD spectrum, but meets the criteria of eating disorder spectrum.

Highlights

Steven Bratman, an American physician, experienced a period of strict dietary control which he described in his book “Health Food Junkies”
It does not belong to the OCD spectrum, but meets the criteria of eating disorder spectrum
The analysis demonstrated that the distribution of demographic and social variables in participants at risk of orthorexia did not differ significantly from the distribution seen in a group without the risk of orthorexia: sex (p = 0.133), age (p = 0.635), educational level (p = 0.138), maternal education and employment status (p = 0.271 and p = 0.418, respectively), paternal education and employment status (p = 0.177 and p = 0.367, respectively), number of siblings (p = 0.550)

Summary

Introduction

Steven Bratman, an American physician, experienced a period of strict dietary control which he described in his book “Health Food Junkies”. He tried to consume only healthy foods, he had his own organic produce farm. With time, though, he noticed a negative effect that thoughts of food had on various areas of his life, including social relationships. Though, he noticed a negative effect that thoughts of food had on various areas of his life, including social relationships He found the same symptoms in many of his patients. The Greek prefix ortho means ‛correct’ and orexis means ‛longing or appetite’; the term suggests a connotation of anorexia nervosa [1]

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