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Mindful eating and orthorexia nervosa: How do they interact?
Bianka Dobos1, Tamás Berki2, David Mellor3
1Juhász Gyula Faculty of Education, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
Nutrition Bulletin
|September 12, 2024
Summary
Mindful eating may inadvertently worsen emotion dysregulation and orthorexia nervosa, particularly when combined with social media addiction. Caution is advised for those with eating disorder risks, recommending professional guidance for safe practice.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Eating Disorders
Background:
- Orthorexia nervosa, social media addiction, and emotion regulation difficulties are increasingly prevalent concerns.
- Perfectionism and Body Mass Index (BMI) are recognized factors influencing eating behaviors.
- Mindful eating is often promoted for well-being, but its complex associations require investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the intricate relationships between mindful eating, orthorexia nervosa, social media addiction, emotion regulation, perfectionism, and BMI.
- To assess the direct and indirect pathways among these psychological constructs using path analysis.
- To provide a nuanced understanding of mindful eating's role in eating behaviors and mental health.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional online survey was administered to 551 university students (127 males, 424 females; mean age 22.6 years).
- Validated self-report questionnaires were used to measure orthorexia nervosa, social media addiction, emotion regulation difficulties, perfectionism, BMI, and four facets of mindful eating.
- Path analysis was employed to examine the proposed associations and mediating effects.
Main Results:
- Mindful eating demonstrated significant direct paths contributing to emotion dysregulation and orthorexia nervosa.
- Associations were found between mindful eating and social media addiction.
- Indirect pathways linked mindful eating, social media addiction, and adaptive perfectionism to maladaptive perfectionism via emotion dysregulation.
Conclusions:
- The study highlights that mindful eating may not be universally beneficial and can be associated with negative outcomes like emotion dysregulation and orthorexia nervosa.
- Adaptive perfectionism showed a direct link to orthorexia nervosa, suggesting a complex interplay of traits.
- Individuals at risk for eating disorders should exercise caution with mindful eating practices and seek professional guidance to ensure it aligns with their overall well-being.
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