Assessing psychological and nutritional impact of suspected orthorexia nervosa: a cross-sectional pilot study

To date, research on the dietary patterns of individuals with potential orthorexic symptoms is lacking. This cross-sectional pilot study aimed to explore the feasibility of assessing dietary patterns with psychological traits and states of individuals with possible orthorexic tendencies.

Dietary intakes of 10 individuals (two males and eight females) were assessed using 24-h recall. Mean age of participants was 28.3 years; mean body mass index was 21.2 kg m^-2 . Nutrient intakes were compared with current dietary guidelines and the Eatwell Guide (Public Health England, 2016). Participants completed the ORTO-15, the Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26), the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised edition (OCI-R), Paulhus's Spheres of Control (SoC), the Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ).

High levels of disparity across participants' psychometric scores and 24-h recall results were observed. There was no single pattern of self-imposed dietary restrictions among participants. Described dietary practices failed to meet the guidelines for several nutrients.

The results of this pilot study suggest that an extensive investigation of the diets of individuals with possible orthorexic tendencies in a large-scale study would contribute to the understanding of this condition. In addition, the use of multiple psychometric instruments is recommended for diagnosing orthorexic nervosa.