The stigma of clean dieting and orthorexia nervosa

Abstract

BackgroundAlthough the stigma of eating disorders such as anorexia has been well established, little is known about the social consequences of “clean dieting” and orthorexia nervosa. In two studies, we examined the social stigma of clean dieting and orthorexia.MethodIn Study 1, participants read a vignette describing a woman following a “clean” diet, a woman with anorexia, or a control target (minimal information about the individual). In Study 2, participants read a vignette describing a woman with orthorexia, a woman displaying identical orthorexic behaviors but without the orthorexia label, a woman with anorexia, or a control target. Participants then rated the target individual on a range of measures assessing stereotypes, emotions, and behavioral intentions toward the target.ResultsStudy 1 found that the clean-dieting target was evaluated more negatively than the control target on some dimensions, but less negatively than the target with anorexia nervosa. Study 2 found that evaluations of the targets with orthorexia nervosa were more negative than evaluations of a control target, but did not differ from evaluations of the target with anorexia nervosa. Perceptions of the target’s control over her behavior were associated with more positive evaluations (Studies 1 and 2), whereas perceptions of blame and responsibility for the condition were associated with more negative evaluations (Study 2).ConclusionsOverall, these findings highlight the potential negative social consequences of clean dieting and orthorexia nervosa, and point to perceptions of control and blame as potential mechanisms underlying the stigma of these conditions.

Orthorexia nervosa: Verhaltensauffälligkeit oder neue Störungskategorie?

“…Darüber hinaus zeigen Studien, unter Verwendung von Fallvignetten, eine deutliche Verbreitung stigmatisierender Einstellungen gegenüber orthorektischem Essverhalten. Das Risiko für soziale Stigmatisierung und eine ablehnende Haltung scheint dabei mindestens ähnlich stark ausgeprägt wie bei bekannten Essstörungen [63,64]. Die tatsächliche Evidenz für diese Folgen stammt jedoch fast ausschließlich aus anekdotischen und Fallberichten.…”

A pilot study comparing the prevalence of orthorexia nervosa in regular students and those in University sports teams

“…While it has many parallels to anorexia nervosa, a recognized eating disorder where affected individuals restrict food in the pursuit of becoming thin [ 2 ], orthorexic sufferers will restrict food due to what they perceive to be ‘impure’ or ‘unhealthy’, as their main motivation is to achieve optimal health and/or avoid illness, rather than weight loss [ 3 ]. However, as a result of extreme restriction or preoccupation with their diet, ON sufferers might eliminate entire food groups which can lead to nutritional deficiencies, malnourishment and weight loss [ 4 , 5 ]. Orthorexic individuals may also suffer from mental health issues such as anxiety or depression [ 6 ], and may become socially isolated due to their rigid eating patterns [ 4 , 5 , 7 ].…”

The presence of orthorexia nervosa in the fitness and health practice - review

“…In some cases, what causes this is a pre-existing eating disorder or inappropriate dietary behaviors from the instructor's side (O'dea -Abraham, 2006). The same questions have not been measured quantitatively yet among recreational fitness instructors, outside the public school system, but Haman et al (2017) conducted focus group study in this population. The attitudes of personal trainers towards ON shows that they view these behaviors in a complex context, finding it difficult to draw the line between healthy and unhealthy behaviours.…”

“…The error of labeling disordered eating prematurely can lead to consequences such as stigma (Nevin -Vartanian, 2017), or bioethical debates about medicalizing an issue that is part of everyday health habits (Crawford, 1980). While aspiring for health and even experiencing some pressure to change to our maintain a healthy lifestyle is extremely valuable, recreation and health professionals should be aware that the coping methods oftentimes lead to disordered eating.…”