Healthy orthorexia vs orthorexia nervosa: associations with body appreciation, functionality appreciation, intuitive...

Current conceptualizations and measures of orthorexia nervosa may not be accurately distinguishing between the healthy vs pathological pursuit of a healthy diet, leading to very high prevalence rates and risking the pathologizing and stigmatizing of healthy eating more generally. Recent research has identified healthy orthorexia as a novel construct conceptually distinct from orthorexia nervosa, which represents the non-pathological pursuit of a healthy diet. In light of the strong body of evidence supporting the role of positive body image in eating behavior, the current study aimed to examine the associations between healthy orthorexia, orthorexia nervosa, intuitive eating and indices of positive body image.

The current study employed a cross-sectional design. An online community sample (N = 835; 62% women; M_age = 40.24, SD = 14.45) completed self-report questionnaires including the Teruel Orthorexia Scale, Body Appreciation Scale-2, Functionality Appreciation Scale, Intuitive Eating Scale-2, and Experience of Embodiment Scale.

Intuitive eating and indices of positive body image were significantly positively associated with healthy orthorexia and inversely associated with orthorexia nervosa. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis found that intuitive eating and indices of body image were uniquely associated with 13.3% of the variance of healthy orthorexia above and beyond that accounted for by orthorexia nervosa. Intuitive eating moderated the relationship between healthy orthorexia and orthorexia nervosa.

The findings of this study provide support for intuitive eating and indices of positive body image as worthy of further exploration as important factors which distinguish between healthy orthorexia and orthorexia nervosa.

V, descriptive study.