orthorexia nervosa
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2022 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel Villa ◽  
Nicole Opawsky ◽  
Sara Manriquez ◽  
Nicole Ananías ◽  
Pablo Vergara-Barra ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is characterized by an excessive, obsessive concern with healthy eating generating psychological complications and even malnutrition at a caloric and protein level. Current evidence suggests that people with greater food knowledge are the most likely to be affected, placing nutrition students as a populational risk group. Since there are no nationwide studies dealing with orthorexia nervosa in this risk group, the present pilot study intends to identify risk factors for orthorexia nervosa in a sample of Nutrition and Dietetics students in Chile. Method A descriptive cross-sectional pilot study was done on 90 Nutrition and Dietetics students from a Chilean university, representing 70% of its population. The ORTHO-11-ES instrument was applied to determine ON risk, along with consulting about attitudinal, physical-clinical and social variables. Statistical tests were performed in GraphPad PRISM 8.0®, applying probability ratios and personal correlation, between the sociodemographic variables and the risk of orthorexia nervosa. This study was approved by the university Ethics Committee based on the Helsinki Declaration. Results 23.3% of the studied population was at risk of suffering ON. Associated variables were being in the second year of their major (OR 2.22), coming from a charter school (OR 3.00) and cohabitation being limited to ≤ 1 person (OR 2.47). Particularly, declared physical activity limits are associated to the risk of suffering ON (Sedentary OR 2.42, Heavy OR 3.53), as well as time spent on the social network Instagram (< 1 h OR 2.77, > 3 h OR 1.80). Conclusions There is an ON risk prevalence of 23.3% in the present pilot sample under study, indicating that years of study, cohabitation, secondary educational establishment, physical activity and Instagram use constitute associated factors for the studied condition. Some results vary from international evidence, describing a dual nature in the variables for Instagram time and declared physical activity for ON risk. This study needs replication in more representative samples and longitudinal character with control groups which can confirm the studied elements as ON risk factors. Plain English summary Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is an expression created to indicate a possible new eating disorder characterized by excessive and obsessive preoccupation with healthy eating. Some of its most distinctive traits include marked anxiety over food, exaggerated fear over the appearance of some diseases and shame about physical appearance. This ultimately impacts food choice, planning, acquisition, preparation and consumption, creating psychological complications along with some associated with malnutrition. Considering that Nutrition students are an at-risk group, the present pilot study evaluated its prevalence and associated factors in a specific sample in Chile. Conditions associated with the risk of orthorexia nervosa identified in the present study include: number of hours spent using Instagram, limited cohabitation, extreme physical activity, and number of years in the major. These results should be taken cautiously, with their association confirmed in follow-up studies.


Author(s):  
Carla Gramaglia ◽  
Eleonora Gattoni ◽  
Daniela Ferrante ◽  
Giovanni Abbate-Daga ◽  
Erika Baldissera ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Caterina Novara ◽  
Susanna Pardini ◽  
Francesco Visioli ◽  
Nicola Meda

Abstract Purpose Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) is characterised by excessive attention to a dietary regimen perceived as healthy. A critical factor in the distinction between ON and other eating disorders (EDs) is the dichotomy of quality-versus-quantity of food intake. We investigated whether specific types of diet or dieting frequency are associated with orthorexic features, explored the overlap between ON and EDs symptoms, and examined which constructs are predictive of ON after 6 months. Methods A total of 1075 students (75.1% female, mean age 20.9) completed a set of questionnaires assessing Orthorexia, Eating Disorders, Obsessions and Compulsions, Anxiety and Depression; 358 individuals (79.9 female, mean age 20.9) agreed to participate in the study and completed the same questionnaires after 6 months. Different regression models were defined to investigate our hypothesis. Results Findings suggest that ON is associated with the number and type of diets followed over a lifetime. Moreover, participants with EDs, body dissatisfaction, or a dysfunctional idea of thinness are more likely to report a greater degree of ON features. After 6 months, the best predictors of ON characteristics are the same ON characteristics assessed at the first administration, with a significant role in the ideal of thinness. Conclusions ON is more frequent in individuals with a previous diagnosis of EDs and in individuals who followed a restrictive diet or a vegan/vegetarian one; the number of lifetime diets, beliefs, and behaviors related to the ideals of thinness or body dissatisfaction is common features of ON. Moreover, considering that having ON features in the past is the best ON predictor in the present, we can presume that ON is a construct stable over time. Level of evidence Level IV: Evidence obtained from multiple time series analysis such as case studies. (NB: Dramatic results in uncontrolled trials might also be regarded as this type of evidence).


Nutrients ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 237
Author(s):  
Dinko Martinovic ◽  
Daria Tokic ◽  
Lovre Martinovic ◽  
Marino Vilovic ◽  
Josip Vrdoljak ◽  
...  

Among many lifestyle components that professional athletes have to follow, nutrition is gradually growing to be one of the key factors for achieving and maintaining optimal sport performance. The Mediterranean diet (MD) is recognized as one of the healthiest dietary patterns worldwide; however, data regarding adherence to the MD among professional athletes are still scarce. Moreover, with the imposed need for a healthy diet among professional athletes, orthorexia nervosa (ON) could become a rising issue. This cross-sectional study included 150 professional athletes and 150 matched recreational athletes from Croatia. Four questionnaires were used for the assessment: general information, a test for the diagnosis of ON (ORTO-15), the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and the Mediterranean Diet Serving Score (MDSS). Significantly more professional athletes were adherent to the MD (p < 0.001) and had a tendency to ON (p < 0.001). Moreover, there was a significant negative correlation between the ORTO-15 score and the total MET min/week score (r = −0.524, p < 0.001) and a significant positive correlation between the MDSS score and the total MET min/week score in the professional athlete group (r = 0.478, p < 0.001). All of these results imply that professional athletes are more concentrated on their dietary patterns than recreational athletes, and that due to this dedication, they possibly have a higher adherence to the MD but also possibly a higher risk for developing ON. However, the association between ON and the MD should be further addressed in the future.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keisha C. Gobin ◽  
Jennifer S. Mills ◽  
Sarah E. McComb

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.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Pasztak-Opilka ◽  
Maria Pawlak ◽  
Agnieszka Zachurzok

Abstract Objectives: There are reports that vegetarians, due to the specificity of their diet, may be at risk of orthorexia nervosa (ON), although researchers' opinions are not consistent. The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between the motivation to use vegetarian diet and the personality traits as well as the tendency to ON. Methods: The study group comprised 480 vegetarians aged 18-40 years (414 women) divided into 3 groups: G1 - semi-vegetarians (n=60), G2 - lacto-ovo-vegetarians, ovo-vegetarians, lacto-vegetarians (n=238) and G3 - vegans, raw foodists and fruitarians (n=182). The questionnaire determining the motivation for vegetarian diet, Neuroticism-ExtraversionOpenness - Five Factor Inventory Personality Inventory and Bratman Test of Orthorexia were used. Results: No significant differences in the level of ON risk were observed between the groups. BMI was significantly lower in G3 than in G1 and G2. In G3 vegetarian diet was used for the longest time, and the highest level of ethical and health motivation to undertake this diet compared to the other respondents was seen (p<0.0001). The study revealed the lowest level of agreeableness in the G1. The neuroticism, extraversion, conscientiousness and ethical motivation to diet were positive predictors of ON, while agreeableness and experience with diet were its negative predictors (F=9.26, p<0.001, R2=0.12).Conclusion: It is concluded that personality traits, type of motivation to undertake a vegetarian diet and diet duration are associated with the risk of ON in vegetarians.Level of Evidence: Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuelle Awad ◽  
Pascale Salameh ◽  
Hala Sacre ◽  
Diana Malaeb ◽  
Souheil Hallit ◽  
...  

Abstract Background There is a lack of studies investigating the possible mediating role of psychological factors, such as depression, anxiety and stress on orthorexic eating behaviors. Given that personality attributes might affect the manifestation of psychological disorders, it was hypothesized that depression, anxiety and stress mediate the relationship between impulsivity-related traits and orthorexic eating, noting that previous research had evaluated the role of depression as a mediator between impulsivity and other pathological eating behaviors. The study objectives were to explore the mediating effect of depression, anxiety, and stress, on impulsivity and orthorexia nervosa, and healthy orthorexia. Methods This cross-sectional study conducted between July and December 2019 recruited 519 Lebanese adults from seven community pharmacies randomly selected from a list provided by the Lebanese Order of Pharmacists. Results Our results showed that depression and anxiety were positively correlated with ON. We also found a notable gender difference in findings: higher anxiety and female gender were significantly associated with higher TOS healthy orthorexia, while higher stress was associated with lower TOS healthy orthorexia. Finally, higher urgency was associated with lower TOS healthy orthorexia, while higher perseverance was significantly associated with higher TOS healthy orthorexia. Depression and anxiety partially mediated the association between perseverance and ON while anxiety and stress partially mediated the association between urgency and healthy orthorexia. Conclusion Our study suggests that depression, anxiety and stress play a mediating role between impulsivity and orthorexia nervosa/healthy orthorexia. Our findings provide a ground for future investigations of impulsive behaviors, psychopathology, and orthorexia in different populations.


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