Orthorexia Nervosa Symptoms Research Articles

Are increased symptoms of orthorexia nervosa linked to self-perceived body image and nutritional adequacy of Turkish adults?

ABSTRACT This cross-sectional study, conducted on 4003 participants aged between 18 and 45, aims to contribute to orthorexia nervosa (ON) research by examining the relationship between ON, body image and nutritional adequacy. The Orthorexia Nervosa-11 scale (ORTO-11) and body perception scale were applied to individuals, and food consumption records were taken with a 24-hour dietary recall method. The study found that more individuals with orthorexia nervosa (ON) considered themselves overweight compared to non-ON individuals. Evaluating diet quality, the mean adequacy ratio was significantly higher in ON individuals. Nutrient adequacy ratios for total fiber, magnesium, zinc, thiamine, folic acid, and vitamin C were higher, while those for carbohydrate and iron were lower in ON individuals. Additionally, increasing the number of snacks, protein, and total fiber adequacy decreased the ORTO-11 score. Distorted body image perception may be a risk factor for ON, but healthy eating fixation does not lead to nutrient inadequacy unless it involves progressive food restriction.

Psychometric Properties of Various Factorial Models of the ORTO-15 Tested With Brazilian Respondents.

The ORTO-15 is a commonly used screening instrument for symptoms of Orthorexia Nervosa (ON), an obsessive overconcern with healthy eating. However, its limitations have been evidenced in several published factorial models. We analyzed the psychometric properties of seven different ORTO-15 factorial models using data from Brazilian adult participants (n = 1455; 71.4% women; M age = 29.5, SD = 8.9 years) from the country's five macro-regions who answered online questions for sample characterization and completed the Portuguese version of the ORTO-15 containing 15 items. We tested the fit of each model separately, analyzing data for men and women with separate confirmatory factor analysis, and using the Weighted Least Squares Mean and Variance Adjusted estimation method and goodness-of-fit indices. We also calculated the average variance extracted and the alpha ordinal and omega coefficients to analyze the convergent validity and reliability of the factors. None of the models tested presented adequate properties of validity and reliability. Although we found some acceptable reliability coefficients, they do not guarantee the validity of the data. Future investigators should be cautious when choosing the ORTO-15 for ON screening.

A Review: Exploring Nutrition Approaches to Improve Mental Health Among Athletes: Focus on Depression and Disordered Eating

Elite sports environments can increase psychiatric conditions like stress and depression due to social pressure for specific body shapes, encouraging disordered eating behaviors, especially in endurance, aesthetic, and weight-dependent sports. This review aims to investigate eating habits among athletes suffering from poor mental health and identify dietary strategies or nutritional advice to mitigate these conditions in physically active individuals. The review focused on studies conducted after 2010 involving adults in any level of regular physical activity, showcasing psychiatric symptoms related to a disordered relationship with food, including depression and various eating disorders. The search on the literature databases was conducted on 20th October 2023 through multiple electronic databases (PubMed, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar) to capture as many relevant citations as possible. Exclusions were made for studies on children or psychiatric patients. The research was sourced from significant databases, emphasizing the correlation between dietary habits and mental health in athletes. Findings reveal that athletes, particularly in ultra-endurance and weight-dependent sports, are susceptible to psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, and exercise addiction. Competitive bodybuilders also showed higher levels of depression and orthorexia nervosa symptoms. Tailored nutrition therapy, guided by healthcare professionals and adjusted to each athlete's specific needs and preferences, is crucial for addressing psychiatric symptoms and eating disorders in athletes. A holistic approach to recovery and well-being can significantly enhance both performance and overall quality of life, underscoring the importance of high-quality, balanced diets in supporting mental health and athletes' achievement.

Reliability generalization meta-analysis of orthorexia nervosa using the ORTO-11/12/15/R scale in all populations and language versions

BackgroundThe ORTO scale was developed in 2004 as a self-report questionnaire to assess symptoms of orthorexia nervosa (ON). ON is an unhealthy preoccupation with eating healthy food. The scale aims to measure obsessive attitudes and behaviors related to the selection, purchase, preparation, and consumption of pure, healthy food. Since its development, the ORTO-15 has been adapted into several shorter versions. The objective was to conduct a reliability generalization meta-analysis of the ORTO scale and its variant versions in all populations and languages.MethodsA systematic literature search was conducted to identify studies reporting the internal consistency of ORTO. Random-effect models were used to evaluate summary statistics of reliability coefficients, weighting the coefficients by the inverse variance using the restricted maximum likelihood method. The heterogeneity among the reliability coefficients was evaluated and assessed using numerous statistical metrics. The tau (τ), tau2 (τ2), I2, H2, R2, df, and the Q-statistic are among those obtained. Meta-regression analyses were used to examine moderators such as age and sex.ResultsTwenty-one studies (k = 21) involving 11,167 participants (n = 11,167) were analyzed. The overall effect estimate on internal consistency was 0.59 (95% CI 0.49–0.68), with a minimum reliability coefficient of 0.23 and a maximum reliability coefficient of 0.83. The heterogeneity statistics were found to have an I2 of 99.31%, which suggested high heterogeneity owing to a decrease in the confidence interval (95% CI) and an increase in variability. Sensitivity analysis revealed that a few studies strongly influenced the overall estimate. Egger’s test suggested possible publication bias. Neither age nor sex significantly moderated reliability via meta-regression.ConclusionsThe ORTO scale has a relatively low pooled reliability coefficient. Alternative ON assessment tools with enhanced psychometric properties are needed. Clinicians should not base diagnoses or treatment decisions on ORTO alone. Comprehensive psychiatric assessment is essential for accurate ON evaluation.

Body appreciation predicts lower levels of orthorexia nervosa symptoms: Prospective findings

Recent evidence shows that negative body image may be a potential risk factor for symptoms of orthorexia nervosa (ON). However, whether positive body image plays a protective role against symptoms of ON remains unclear. Although prior research has established associations between body appreciation (a core component of positive body image) and ON symptoms, this research is limited to cross-sectional designs, precluding inferences of temporal precedence. Thus, the present study overcomes this limitation by testing whether body appreciation prospectively predicts ON symptoms. Data were analysed from 1253 adult women (M age = 34 years (SD = 9.4), 81.3% Caucasian) who completed the Orthorexia Nervosa Inventory (ONI) and Body Appreciation Scale 2-Short Form (BAS2-SF) at baseline (T1) and at three-month follow-up (T2). Multiple linear regressions were used to test whether body appreciation scores at T1 predicted ONI subscale scores (behaviours, emotions, and impairments) at T2. Results revealed that higher body appreciation scores at T1 significantly predicted decreased scores on each ONI subscale at T2, though effect sizes were small. Findings provide preliminary evidence that body appreciation may protect against ON symptoms. If replicated, efforts to address ON symptoms may be enhanced by promoting body appreciation.

A Study of the Relationship between University Students' Food Neophobia and Their Tendencies towards Orthorexia Nervosa.

Food neophobia, known as an avoidance of the consumption of unknown foods, can negatively impact nutritional quality. In orthorexia nervosa, there is an excessive mental effort to consume healthy food. Individuals exhibiting symptoms of food neophobia and orthorexia nervosa may experience food restrictions. This study aimed to assess food neophobia levels and orthorexia nervosa tendencies among university students, investigate the potential association between the two constructs, and explore the effect of the demographic characteristics of the participants on the variables. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. The study sample consisted of 609 students enrolled at Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University. The data were collected through Google Forms using a sociodemographic information form, the Food Neophobia Scale, and the ORTO-11 scale. Ethics committee approval and institutional permission were obtained for the study. Of the students participating in the survey, 71.9% were female, 14.6% were classified as neophobic, and 47.1% had orthorexia nervosa symptoms. The mean scores from the Food Neophobia Scale (39.41 ± 9.23) and the ORTO-11 scale (27.43 ± 5.35) were in the normal range. Food neophobia was significantly higher among those who did not consume alcohol. Orthorexia nervosa symptoms were significantly more common among married people. In the correlation analysis, no significant relationship was found between age, food neophobia, and orthorexia nervosa. It can be said that food neophobia in this study is similar to in other studies conducted on university students. In addition, about half of the participants had symptoms of orthorexia nervosa. This result is higher compared to other studies conducted with university students. The findings of this study indicate that the participants care about the healthfulness of food.

Overall proportion of orthorexia nervosa symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis including 30 476 individuals from 18 countries.

To date, no previous meta-analysis has determined the overall proportion of orthorexia nervosa symptoms on a global scale. The aim of the present study was 2-fold: first, to establish the overall proportion of orthorexia nervosa symptoms on a global scale, assessed with the ORTO-15 questionnaire; and second, to determine the role of sex, type of population, mean age, body mass index, and the temporal trend in relation to orthorexia nervosa symptoms. Four databases were searched (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews) with date limits from January 2005 to June 2023. Studies assessing the proportion of orthorexia nervosa assessed using the ORTO-15 questionnaire with a cutoff of <35 or <40 points were included in this review. The overall proportion of orthorexia nervosa symptoms (using the cutoff <35 points) was 27.5% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 23.5-31.6, I2 = 97.0%). In addition, no significant differences were observed between females (34.6%, 95% CI = 29.5-39.8, I2 = 96.1%) and males (32.1%, 95% CI = 26.5-38.1, I2 = 93.1%). According to the type of population, the highest overall proportion was found in people focused on sports performance or body composition (34.5%, 95% CI = 23.1-47.0, I2 = 98.0%). Notwithstanding, caution should be exercised in interpreting this result, as reverse causality could be a potential pitfall in this relationship. We found that approximately three out of 10 study participants showed orthorexia nervosa symptoms according to the ORTO-15 tool. This overall proportion was higher in those participants who were athletes or fitness practitioners. Over the years, the proportion of orthorexia nervosa symptoms seems to be increasing. These high percentages and their increase are worrisome from a public health perspective and highlight the need to develop psychometric instruments to aid in clinical diagnosis and treatment efficacy. PROSPERO (CRD42022350873).

Exploring the relationship between dysfunctional metacognitive processes and orthorexia nervosa: the moderating role of emotion regulation strategies

BackgroundDysfunctional metacognitive processes and emotional dysregulation have been widely documented in the eating disorder literature. Despite numerous research and recent consensus suggesting the categorization of orthorexia nervosa as a form of eating disorder, no previous study has examined whether aberrant metacognitive processes also correlate with orthorexia nervosa tendencies. This paper investigates potential associations between symptoms of orthorexia nervosa and dysfunctional metacognitive processes while also exploring whether such relationships may be influenced by adaptive/maladaptive emotion regulation strategies.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study in all Lebanese governorates. In total, 423 Lebanese adults completed an online questionnaire including the Teruel Orthorexia Scale, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale – 16 Item Version, and the Metacognitions Questionnaire – Short Form.ResultsHigher physical activity, expressive suppression, emotion regulation difficulties, positive metacognitive beliefs about worry, and need to control thoughts were significantly associated with higher orthorexia nervosa. Additionally, the emotion regulation strategies moderated the relationships between two dysfunctional metacognitive processes and orthorexia nervosa. Specifically, cognitive self-consciousness was negatively related to orthorexia nervosa only in individuals with low (versus higher) emotion suppression (maladaptive emotion regulation strategy). In contrast, negative beliefs about worry uncontrollability and danger positively predicted orthorexia nervosa only in individuals with lower (versus high) cognitive reappraisal (adaptive emotion regulation strategy). Lower socio-economic status and having a university level of education compared to secondary level were significantly associated with lower orthorexia nervosa.ConclusionOur study provides the first empirical evidence for the existence of significant associations between dysfunctional metacognitive processes and orthorexia nervosa. It also highlights that these pathways are considerably modulated by individuals’ ability to regulate their emotions adaptively versus maladaptively. Our findings thus suggest that therapies aimed at improving thought monitoring and emotional regulation may be beneficial for individuals with symptoms of orthorexia nervosa.

Healthy Orthorexia, Orthorexia Nervosa, and Personality Traits in a Community Sample in Turkey.

Orthorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by a rigid preoccupation with a perceived healthy diet. However, little is known about healthy orthorexia and orthorexia nervosa. We aim to examine the relationship between healthy orthorexia and orthorexia nervosa scores and personality traits in a Turkish sample. Three hundred fifty participants from a community sample aged 18-65 were included in the study. The participants completed a sociodemographic data collection form, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS), and Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI). The frequency of healthy orthorexia was 32.3%, and orthorexia nervosa was 10.2% in our sample. There were no differences between genders regarding healthy orthorexia and orthorexia nervosa scores. Healthy orthorexia symptoms were negatively correlated with depression and anxiety (r = -.11 and r = -.20, respectively, P < .05) while positively correlated with agreeableness (r = .17), conscientiousness (r = .14), and extraversion (r = .15). Orthorexia nervosa symptoms was positively associated with anxiety (r = .12), depression (r = .10), and healthy orthorexia (r = .55). Hierarchical regression analyses showed that depression is negatively associated with healthy orthorexia symptoms, explaining a 4% variance. The Agreeableness trait was positively associated with healthy orthorexia symptoms and explained a 4% variance. However, regression analyses could not demonstrate a specific association with orthorexia nervosa symptoms. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to examine the relationships between personality traits, healthy orthorexia, and orthorexia nervosa symptoms in a Turkish sample. Examining specific sociocultural factors is essential to understand orthorexia nervosa and healthy eating behaviors.

Too healthy for their own good: orthorexia nervosa and compulsive exercise in the community

BackgroundThe similarities and differences between orthorexia nervosa symptoms (ONs) and the symptoms and correlates of eating disorders listed in the DSM-5 need to be elucidated. ONs were examined in a volunteer community sample in conjunction with compulsive exercise, disordered eating, as well as emotional and behavioral correlates of eating disorders.MethodsParticipants were 561 adult volunteers (93 men, 17.09%) aged 19–72 (M = 32.7 ± 11), recruited via social media networks. Participants self-reported on the following measures online: Düsseldorf Orthorexia Scale, Compulsive Exercise Test, Retrospective Child Feeding Questionnaire, Experiences in Close Relationships, Difficulties in Emotional Regulation Scale, Toronto Alexithymia Scale, and Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire 13. Data were downloaded and analyzed in SPSS26 and Amos26.ResultsA theoretical model of the connections between the study variables was tested via SEM and confirmed. The profiles of participants with high, average and low levels of ONs were compared. Participants with the highest levels also scored highest for compulsive exercise, insecure attachment, alexithymia, emotion regulation difficulties, weight and shape concerns, body dissatisfaction, restriction, bingeing, purging and parental feeding practices of concern about child’s weight and restricting and monitoring the child’s intake of calorie-rich foods.DiscussionHigh levels of ONs are related to disordered eating attitudes and behaviors, as well as to emotional and behavioral correlates of eating disorders. It is unclear to what extent these ONs are distinguishable from symptoms of other eating disorders listed in the DSM-5. Longitudinal studies may help to elucidate distinct trajectories and risk factors for ON.Level of evidence: Level III, case–control analytic study.

Orthorexia nervosa symptoms prospectively predict symptoms of eating disorders and depression

The possible mental health impacts of orthorexia nervosa (ON) symptoms are poorly understood, as existing research in this field has mostly employed cross-sectional designs. This study investigated whether ON symptoms prospectively predict changes in eating disorder psychopathology and general mental health. A convenience, non-clinical sample of adults (n = 313; 83 % women) completed study measures at baseline (T1) and three-month follow-up (T2). Negative binomial regressions were computed to test whether T1 ON symptoms predict changes in binge eating and driven exercise episodes. Linear regressions were computed to test whether T1 ON symptoms predict changes in eating concerns, depressive symptoms, and life satisfaction. Higher ON symptoms prospectively predicted greater number of binge eating and driven exercise episodes at T2. Higher ON symptoms predicted increased eating concerns and depressive symptoms at T2. ON symptoms did not predict changes in life satisfaction. Findings highlight possible risks associated with ON symptomatology. Efforts to better inform the public about the risks of these pathological eating patterns are needed.

Symptoms of Orthorexia Nervosa are associated with time spent on social media: a web-based survey in an Italian population sample.

Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) is an eating disorder of growing interest that is characterized by an obsession with healthy eating. Nowadays, people spend an increasing amount of time on social media, which may negatively impact eating behaviors. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between social media usage and risk of ON. We conducted an online survey using the 10-item Italian-Düsseldorf Orthorexia Scale questionnaire (I-DOS). A total of 4,107 individuals participated and were classified according to sex, age, education level, marital status, BMI, main occupation, and diet. The prevalence of ON was 28.5%. Participants who reported using social media for over 60 minutes per day had a higher prevalence of ON than those using social media for less than 15 minutes per day. The results of this study suggest that longer time spent on social media is associated with ON.

Connecting a health-focused self-concept with orthorexia nervosa symptoms via fear of losing control over eating unhealthy food and disgust for unhealthy food.

Orthorexia nervosa (ON) involves a maladaptive preoccupation with healthy eating through strict dietary rules that negatively affect physical and mental health. Recent evidence suggests that ON symptoms may stem, in part, from having a health-focused self-concept (i.e., overvaluing the importance of health for self-definition and self-worth). Herein, fear of losing control over eating unhealthy foods and disgust for unhealthy foods were examined as potential mediators of the association between health-focused self-concept and ON symptoms. The parallel mediation model was tested using a community sample of people who believe they are currently following a healthy eating diet plan and/or believe they are leading a healthy eating lifestyle (N = 442). Participants were recruited from Amazon's Mechanical Turk and completed a questionnaire battery that included the Health-Focused Self-Concept Scale, questionnaires assessing fear of losing control over eating unhealthy food and disgust with unhealthy food, and the Orthorexia Nervosa Inventory. As expected, a health-focused self-concept was indirectly and positively associated with ON symptoms via fear and disgust. The findings conceptually replicate and extend prior research on anorexia nervosa supporting the transdiagnostic utility of a focused self-concept, fear of losing control, and disgust across eating disorders. Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study.

The association of perfectionism, health-focused self-concept, and erroneous beliefs with orthorexia nervosa symptoms: A moderated mediation model.

Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is a putative eating disorder linked to perfectionism among people who eat healthily (or who want to eat healthily). However, little is known about the process by which perfectionism fosters ON symptoms. Like the Transdiagnostic Cognitive-Behavioral Theory of Eating Disorders, we hypothesized that perfectionism among people who eat healthily (or who want to eat healthily) fosters ON symptoms indirectly by cultivating a health-focused self-concept (i.e., placing overriding importance on health for self-definition and self-worth). We also hypothesized that a health-focused self-concept would be associated with ON symptoms among people who have erroneous beliefs about the safety and efficacy of maladaptive healthy eating strategies. To test this moderated mediation model, a sample of people following a healthy eating diet plan and/or who believe they are leading a healthy eating lifestyle (N=456) were recruited from Amazon's Mechanical Turk and completed measures that assessed perfectionism, health-focused self-concept, ON symptoms, and erroneous beliefs about the safety and efficacy of maladaptive healthy eating strategies. They also completed a measure of appearance-focused self-concept. Health-focused and appearance-focused self-concepts were empirically distinct. As expected, perfectionism was indirectly and positively associated with ON symptoms via a health-focused self-concept. Importantly, the indirect association was only observed among participants high, but not low, in erroneous beliefs. The findings support the role of perfectionism in ON. The findings also advance knowledge by identifying a health-focused self-concept and erroneous beliefs as potential factors in the etiology and maintenance of ON.

The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown on Eating, Body Image, and Social Media Habits Among Women With and Without Symptoms of Orthorexia Nervosa.

The COVID-19 pandemic is negatively impacting people’s mental health worldwide. The current study examined the effects of COVID-19 lockdown on adult women’s eating, body image, and social media habits. Furthermore, we compared individuals with and without signs of orthorexia nervosa, a proposed eating disorder. Participants were 143 women, aged 17–73 years (M = 25.85, SD = 8.12), recruited during a COVID-19 lockdown in Canada from May-June 2020. Participants completed self-report questionnaires on their eating, body image, and social media habits during the pandemic. The Eating Habits Questionnaire (EHQ) assessed symptoms of orthorexia nervosa. Compared to the period prior to lockdown, women with higher total orthorexia nervosa scores reported eating a lot more than usual, feeling greater pressure to diet and lose weight, thinking about food more often than usual, experiencing greater weight gain, and perceiving more pressure from social media specifically to lose weight and to exercise, compared to their healthy counterparts. We examined associations between individual EHQ subscales and perceived changes to eating and weight. Women who scored high on EHQ-Problems reported seeing more weight loss content on their social media than those who reported fewer orthorexia nervosa symptoms. Conversely, those who scored low on EHQ-Feelings reported feeling a lot less pressure to lose weight, somewhat less or a lot less pressure to lose weight or to exercise from social media specifically, and trended toward less laxative use during lockdown, compared to those who scored higher on orthorexia nervosa. And those who scored low on EHQ-Knowledge reported feeling somewhat less or a lot less pressure to lose weight than those who reported more orthorexia nervosa symptoms. Together, the findings suggest that women with symptoms of orthorexia nervosa are experiencing an exacerbation of disordered eating thoughts and behaviors during COVID-19, and that social media may be a contributing factor.

Functional gastrointestinal symptoms and increased risk for orthorexia nervosa

PurposeRecent guidelines point out the possible risk for orthorexia nervosa in functional gastrointestinal disorders, however, to date, no study has investigated this association. The present study aimed to explore the potential relationship between irritable bowel syndrome-related functional gastrointestinal symptoms and certain maladaptive eating behaviours, such as symptoms of orthorexia nervosa and emotional eating.MethodsA sample of 644 Hungarian volunteers (Mage = 22.37; SDage = 3.95) completed a survey with the following questionnaires: the Rome IV Diagnostic Questionnaire (R4DQ) for adults—Irritable bowel syndrome module for the measurement of functional gastrointestinal symptoms, the Hungarian version of the ORTO-15 questionnaire (ORTO-11-Hu) to assess symptoms of orthorexia nervosa, the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) Emotional Eating subscale to measure symptoms of emotional eating and the Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI) for the assessment of health anxiety. Spearman’s rank correlation was used to explore the associations between the measured variables, and structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed mediation models.ResultsFunctional gastrointestinal symptoms were positively related to symptoms of orthorexia nervosa and emotional eating. The relationship between functional gastrointestinal symptoms and symptoms of orthorexia nervosa was partially mediated by health anxiety, while the association between functional gastrointestinal symptoms and symptoms of emotional eating was partially mediated by symptoms of orthorexia nervosa.ConclusionOur findings highlight the possible risk for developing orthorexic symptoms in functional gastrointestinal symptoms, which could lead to other types of disordered eating patterns, such as emotional eating. The results also underscore the potential role of health anxiety in these relationships.Level of evidenceLevel V (descriptive cross-sectional study).

Is orthorexia nervosa a healthy way of being or a mental health disorder? Commentary on He et al. (2020).

Orthorexia nervosa is a new syndrome that has seen a marked increase in research in the past decade. Very high prevalence estimates in non-clinical populations have fuelled the debate as to whether it is a disorder in its own right, or only a problem when occurring in the context of another mental health or eating disorder. More recent assessment instruments have gone some way to address this issue. However, He et al.'s (2020, International Journal of Eating Disorder) study in older East Asian persons was not supportive of orthorexia nervosa as a disorder. Rather, people with orthorexia nervosa had better physical and mental health and lower or similar levels of eating disorder features such as body dissatisfaction when compared with people who did not have orthorexia nervosa. Albeit that selection bias in participant recruitment may in part explain their findings, the status of orthorexia nervosa is unresolved. Further studies need to employ appropriate instruments that measure psychopathology and function more broadly and investigate people with orthorexia nervosa symptoms in representative populations with longitudinal designs. The last is critical, as the most compelling evidence supporting a disorder is to find an adverse health impact over time that can be avoided by appropriate intervention.

Are orthorexia nervosa symptoms associated with deficits in inhibitory control?

This study explored whether inhibitory control is associated with symptoms of orthorexia nervosa, a condition that involves substantial behavioral control in regard to healthy eating. Participants (50 women, 13 men) completed the Eating Habits Questionnaire as a measure of orthorexia symptomatology, along with computerized versions of the Go/No-Go Task, Flanker Task, and Stroop Task. Orthorexia symptomatology did not correlate with either percent error or response time for any of the three tasks (all p's > 0.10). These results suggest that orthorexia is not associated with deficits or other differences in inhibitory control. Level V, descriptive cross-sectional study.

Perceived need for treatment associated with orthorexia nervosa symptoms

Orthorexia Nervosa is characterised by a pathological fixation on food purity and nutrition, coupled with a severely restricted diet and avoidance of food believed to be unhealthy. Little is known about the risk factors associated with the condition or if the condition should be treated in a similar way to other eating disorders or whether distinct interventions are required. This study aimed to identify (1) putative variables of the need for treatment in those with orthorexia symptomology and (2) assess whether comorbid psychological symptomologies were associated with orthorexia nervosa. An online cross-sectional self-report survey was developed and the data of 130 participants analysed using regression analyses. As predicted, individuals with higher levels of orthorexic symptomology, eating disorder symptomology and those who identified their healthy eating as problematic were significantly more likely to have a perceived need for treatment, however those who self-identified as having a current or past eating disorder were not. Orthorexic symptomatology was significantly correlated with eating disorder symptomatology, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, anxiety, and depression, however in the regression analysis, eating disorder symptomatology was the only significant variable. These findings highlight the need to consider orthorexic symptoms in people with eating disorders and that this inter-relationship and the ego-syntonicity of symptoms may reduce help-seeking.

Orthorexia Nervosa in China: An Exploration of Phenomenology and Clinical Correlates Among University Students.

Orthorexia nervosa, characterized by pathological preoccupation with healthy eating and food purity, is conceptualized as being linked to cultural concepts of health pervasive in contemporary Western societies. However, little is known about the phenomenology and clinical correlates of orthorexia nervosa in non-Western cultures. The current study examined symptoms of orthorexia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, anxiety, and fear of negative evaluation among 418 Chinese university students. A minority of participants endorsed frequent or impairing orthorexia nervosa symptoms, and females reported slightly higher severity of orthorexia nervosa symptoms than males. Orthorexia nervosa symptom severity was moderately associated with obsessive-compulsive and anxiety symptoms, and weakly associated with depressive symptoms and fear of negative evaluation. Although this study generates initial data about orthorexia nervosa among Chinese students, further research is greatly needed to establish the prevalence and clinical characteristics of orthorexia nervosa in Western and Non-Western cultures.