Trait mindfulness differentiates the interest in healthy diet from orthorexia nervosa

Obsessive healthy eating and its extreme form orthorexia nervosa are epidemiologically significant problems. Mindfulness, the focused, non-judgmental attention to and awareness of present events, may be an important psychological contributor to (orthorexic) eating habits.

In this cross-sectional survey-based study, 314 women and 75 men (mean age_{total sample} = 27.17 years, SD = 10.64) provided data on mindfulness (Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory, presence and acceptance subscale) and orthorexic eating (Teruel Orthorexia Scale, healthy orthorexia and orthorexia nervosa subscale).

In this study, we found a positive relation between mindfulness and healthy orthorexia, the non-pathological interest in eating healthy. By contrast, orthorexia nervosa, the pathological obsession with healthy eating, was negatively associated with mindfulness. Gender differences appeared neglectable.

Taken together, these results confirm previous research showing that mindfulness encourages eating healthy and may protect against eating-related pathologies. Result also support the notion that orthorexia has two dimensions, healthy and nervosa, which are differently related to psychological factors, herein mindfulness.

Level III, cohort study.