Eco-concerns and risk for eating disorders and orthorexia nervosa

Eco-anxiety, eco-guilt, and eco-grief are negative emotions linked to climate change. The aim of the present study was assessing the relationships between eco-concerns and the risk of eating disorders (EDs) and orthorexia nervosa (ON) in a group of adult females without self-reported history of psychiatric diseases.

A self-administered questionnaire both on the risk for ED and ON and the main psychological eco-issues was submitted through social channel from September 1st to October 31st, 2024.

Data from 880 females were collected. Participants were mostly young (36.8 ± 9.2 years) and healthy with a high level of education. In a multiple regression model, both ORTO-R and EAT-26 scores were directly associated with eco-guilt (beta = 0.45, 95%CI 0.35-0.55, p < 0.001 and beta = 0.14, 95%CI 0.08-0.20, p < 0.001, respectively), habitual ecological worry (beta = 0.24, 95%CI 0.16-0.32, p < 0.001 and beta = 0.08, 95%CI 0.04-0.12, p < 0.001, respectively), negative consequences of eco-anxiety (beta = 0.41, 95%CI 0.33-0.49, p < 0.001 and beta = 0.14, 95%CI 0.10-0.18, p < 0.001, respectively), and general eco-anxiety (beta = 0.65, 95%CI 0,49-0.80, p < 0.001 and beta = 0.22, 95 % CI 0.14-0.30, p < 0.001, respectively). Age was inversely associated with all eco-scores and being single was directly associated with eco-guilt.

Eco-concerns were directly associated with the risk for EDs and ON in adult females with a high level of education. These intriguing relationships, if confirmed by further studies, have a potential clinical impact, since the presence of eco-emotions may address the search for an eating disorder.