Date of Award
2018
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Psychology
Abstract
Orthorexia nervosa has been suggested as a new psychological phenomenon in which an individual restricts their diet to consume only biologically pure and healthy foods. Some have suggested that orthorexia nervosa should be considered a new eating disorder. However, it is unclear at this time if orthorexia nervosa is a new psychological disorder, a variant of an existing psychological disorder (such as anorexia nervosa or obsessive-compulsive disorder), or a sub-threshold disordered eating behavior. The present study examined and compared measures of orthorexia nervosa behavior, explored its relationship to other psychological conditions, and assessed how demographic features are related to the behavior. Participants included 124 individuals drawn from either an undergraduate student sample or an online health community. The Eating Habits Questionnaire (EHQ) was found to be a more psychometrically valid measure of orthorexia nervosa behavior compared to the ORTO-15. The EHQ also significantly contributed to the identification of proposed cases of orthorexia nervosa in the present sample. Several results provided support for orthorexia nervosa to be considered a unique psychological condition. No relationship was found between ON behavior and binge eating and purging, body dissatisfaction, and drive for thinness. Additionally, ON behavior correlated to state anxiety, obsessive-compulsive characteristics, and interpersonal alienation. However, additional findings questioned the validity of orthorexia nervosa as a unique condition. Specifically, no relationship was found between ON behavior and perfectionism, asceticism, and psychological distress. Despite mixed outcomes, the results of this study provide several suggestions for future research examining orthorexia nervosa, including the formation of a psychometrically valid measure, replication of findings distinguishing orthorexia nervosa, and identifying demographic risk factors.
Recommended Citation
Garcia, Bethany, "Considerations In The Classification Of Orthorexia Nervosa" (2018). All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1579.
https://scholars.indianastate.edu/etds/1579