Orthorexie et troubles des conduites alimentaires : spécificité d’un profil ?

Abstract

BackgroundOrthorexia is a recent identified disorder by Dr. Steve Bratman (1997) that defines obsessive concerns about healthy eating and significant impairment of functioning and suffering. An orthorexic person obsessively attaches importance to the quality of the food she eats. ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to explore the orthorexic profile linked to eating disorders (ED), body image, environmental attitudes and psychological flexibility. MethodParticipants were divided into three groups according to specific inclusion criteria: “All comers” (n=110), “Current ED” (n=97) and “Past ED” (n=115). They answered a set of on line questionnaires: the French Orthorexia Scale (FOS-12), the Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI-2), the Body Esteem Scale (BES), the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ-II), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Environmental Attitudes Inventory (EAI-12). ResultsResults showed strong and significant correlations between orthorexic symptoms and several ED symptoms in the “current ED” and “past ED” groups. There are very significant differences between the three groups for the scores for orthorexia, body esteem, psychological flexibility and for all ED symptoms. However, there is no significant difference regarding environmental attitudes. The “current ED” group presents the highest scores for orthorexic symptoms and ED symptoms but the lowest scores for psychological flexibility and body esteem. ConclusionThe orthorexic profile is very close to the profile of individuals with ED. It could be a more socially and culturally acceptable rearrangement of a past ED. The other variables tested do not seem to be linked to the specificity of the orthorexic disorder. Currently, research about orthorexia is booming but there is still a lot of misunderstanding to study. Future studies will have to consider an approach in terms of psychic mechanisms and processes.