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Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Body Composition and Metabolic Caging Analysis in High Fat Fed Mice
Published on: May 24, 2018
Orthorexia symptoms correlate with perceived muscularity and body fat, not BMI
Crystal D Oberle1, Shelby L Lipschuetz2
1Department of Psychology, Texas State University, 601 University Dr., San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA. oberle@txstate.edu.
Purpose:
This study explored how different body-type measures relate to orthorexia symptomatology.
Method:
Participants were 465 undergraduates, who completed an online survey with self-reported height and weight items, a muscularity figure rating scale, a body fat figure rating scale, and the Eating Habits Questionnaire (EHQ; Gleaves, Graham, & Ambwani, 2013).
Results:
BMI was not significantly related to any of the EHQ subscale scores. In contrast, muscularity rating was positively related to all EHQ subscale scores: Behaviors (p < .001), Problems (p = .014), and Feelings (p = .003). Additionally, body fat rating was negatively correlated with two EHQ subscale scores: Behaviors (p < .001) and Feelings (p = .008). None of these relationships varied as a function of gender.
Conclusion:
These findings suggest that orthorexia symptomatology, while unrelated to BMI, is greater for individuals who perceive themselves as having a relatively muscular, lean body type.
Level Of Evidence:
Level V, descriptive cross-sectional study.
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