Orthorexia nervosa and Instagram: exploring the Russian-speaking conversation around #opтopeкcия

Abstract

This mixed-methods study explored the conversation around orthorexia nervosa (ON) on Instagram from a Russian-speaking perspective. Two quantitative data sources were implemented; a comparative content analysis of posts tagged with #opтopeкcия (n = 234) and #orthorexia (n = 243), and an online questionnaire completed by Russian-speakers (n = 96) sharing ON-related content on Instagram. Additionally, five questionnaire participants were interviewed, four of which identified with having (had) ON. Russian-speakers who share ON-related content on Instagram are primarily female, around their late-twenties, and prefer Instagram over other platforms. They describe people with ON as obsessed with correct eating, rather than healthy or clean eating. Instagram appears to have a dual effect; it has the potential to both trigger the onset of ON and encourage recovery. Positive content encourages a healthy relationship with food, promotes intuitive eating, and spread recovery advice. Harmful content, in turn, emphasizes specific diet and beauty ideals. Russian-speaking users mainly post pictures of food, followed by largely informative text that explains what ON is, and what recovery may look like. Their reasons for posting ON-related content are to share personal experiences, support others in recovery, and raise awareness about ON. Two main target audiences were people unaware of ON and people seeking recovery support. The relationship between ON and social media is not strictly limited to the global north. Thus, it may be valuable to further investigate non-English-speaking populations currently underrepresented in ON research.Level of evidence: Level V, descriptive study.

“Your struggles are valid, you are worthy of help and you deserve to recover”: narratives of recovery from orthorexia nervosa

“…A crucial barrier to recovery from ON was its invisibility at both a societal-level and within formal diagnostic criteria. This finding is consistent with other research, in which people with ON have reported a widespread lack of awareness, resulting in confusion and delegitimisation of disordered eating [26,27]. A lack of recognition of ON at a diagnosticand societal-level may ultimately cause it to go undetected and under-reported, thus potentially exacerbating severe medical consequences, psychological distress, and impairments in other important areas of functioning [6,8]; whereas better recognition of ON may lead to improved access to and quality of treatment.…”

“…However, the relationship between social media and ON-as well as other eating disorders-is far more complex, with research showing that different types of engagement with social media, frequency of usage, and reasons for usage are important factors in eating disorder symptomology [21][22][23]. Importantly, social media can also provide valuable recovery spaces for people with ON [24][25][26]. For example, Valente et al [24] reported that while social media can fuel ON behaviours, the spaces afforded by social media can also be valuable stimuli for recovery, providing a counterculture to mainstream sociocultural ideals of health and beauty through the promotion of body positivity and intuitive eating.…”

“Your struggles are valid, you are worthy of help and you deserve to recover”: Narratives of recovery from Orthorexia Nervosa

“…A crucial barrier to recovery from ON was its invisibility at both a societal-level and within formal diagnostic criteria. This nding is consistent with other research, in which people with ON have reported a widespread lack of awareness, resulting in confusion and delegitimization of disordered eating [25,26]. A lack of recognition of ON at a diagnostic-and societal-level may ultimately cause it to go undetected and under-reported, thus potentially exacerbating severe medical consequences, psychological distress, and impairments in other important areas of functioning [6]; whereas better recognition of ON may lead to improved access to and quality of treatment.…”

“…However, the relationship between social media and ON -as well as other eating disorders -is far more complex, with research showing that different types of engagement with social media, frequency of usage, and reasons for usage are important factors in eating disorder symptomology [20][21][22]. Importantly, social media can also provide valuable recovery spaces for people with ON [23][24][25]. For example, Valente et al [23] reported that while social media can fuel ON behaviours, the spaces afforded by social media can also be valuable stimuli for recovery, providing a counterculture to mainstream sociocultural ideals of health and beauty through the promotion of body positivity and intuitive eating.…”