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'Sugar is the devil': Exploring psychological flexibility and inflexibility in orthorexia through interpretative
Camille Ribadeau Dumas1,2, Delphine Rommel1,2, Anne Congard1,2
1Nantes Université, Université d'Angers, Laboratoire de Psychologie des Pays de la Loire, LPPL, UR.
Journal of Health Psychology
|May 20, 2026
Summary
Orthorexia nervosa, a disorder focused on healthy eating, is linked to psychological inflexibility. Improving psychological flexibility may help treat this eating disorder and related environmental concerns.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychiatry
- Eating Disorders
Background:
- Orthorexia nervosa is a pathological fixation on healthy eating within the spectrum of eating disorders.
- Interest in healthy eating can range from non-pathological to disordered patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of psychological flexibility in orthorexia nervosa.
- To compare psychological flexibility in individuals with orthorexia nervosa versus those with a non-pathological interest in healthy eating.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study utilizing fifteen semi-structured interviews.
- Analysis conducted using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).
Main Results:
- Healthy eating can be driven by health and environmental concerns.
- Orthorexia nervosa is associated with rigid self-perception and experiential avoidance.
- Psychological inflexibility appears central to orthorexia nervosa, contrasting with value-based choices in non-problematic eating.
Conclusions:
- Psychological inflexibility may be a key factor in orthorexia nervosa.
- Psychological flexibility could be a viable therapeutic target for orthorexia nervosa.
- The study highlights a potential link between orthorexia nervosa and environmental concerns.
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