Orthorexic and Restrained Eating Behaviour in Vegans, Vegetarians, and Individuals on a Diet

Overview

Journal Eat Weight Disord

Publisher Springer

Date 2018 Feb 5

PMID 29397564

Citations 40

Authors

Friederike Barthels

Frank Meyer

Reinhard Pietrowsky

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: Orthorexic eating behaviour, restrained eating, and veganism/vegetarianism are food selection strategies sharing several characteristics. Since there are no studies investigating their interrelationships, aim of the present study was to analyse orthorexic and restrained eating behaviour in (1) a sample of vegans and vegetarians and (2) a sample of individuals on a diet to lose weight.

Method: Division of samples according to pre-defined criteria in (1) vegans (n = 114), vegetarians (n = 63), individuals with rare meat consumption (n = 83) and individuals with frequent meat consumption (n = 91) and in (2) participants on a diet with dietary change (n = 104), without dietary change (n = 37) and a control group of individuals not on a diet (n = 258). Orthorexic eating behaviour was assessed with the Düsseldorfer Orthorexie Skala and restrained eating was assessed with the Restraint Eating Scale.

Results: Vegans and vegetarians do not differ in orthorexic eating behaviour, but both groups score higher in orthorexic eating behaviour than individuals consuming red meat. There are no differences regarding restrained eating. Individuals on a diet with dietary change score higher in both orthorexic and restrained eating, than individuals without dietary change and individuals not on a diet.

Conclusions: Individuals who restrict their eating behaviour, either predominantly due to ethical reasons or with the intention to lose weight, display more orthorexic eating behaviour than individuals not limiting their food consumption. Further research is needed to investigate whether veganism, vegetarianism, or frequent dieting behaviour serve as risk factors for orthorexia.

Level Of Evidence: Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study.

Citing Articles

The Psychosocial Aspects of Vegetarian Diets: A Cross-Sectional Study of the Motivations, Risks, and Limitations in Daily Life.

Bialek-Dratwa A, Ston W, Staskiewicz-Bartecka W, Grajek M, Krupa-Kotara K, Kowalski O Nutrients. 2024; 16(15).

PMID: 39125383 PMC: 11314235. DOI: 10.3390/nu16152504.

From Origins to Trends: A Bibliometric Examination of Ethical Food Consumption.

Beciu S, Arghiroiu G, Bobeica M Foods. 2024; 13(13).

PMID: 38998554 PMC: 11241545. DOI: 10.3390/foods13132048.

Dismantling the myth of "all foods fit" in eating disorder treatment.

Brewerton T, Dennis K, Wiss D J Eat Disord. 2024; 12(1):60.

PMID: 38760858 PMC: 11102136. DOI: 10.1186/s40337-024-01017-9.

Motivations matter: moral and health-related motives indirectly relate to differential psychological health indicators among vegetarians.

Dai X, Leung A J Health Popul Nutr. 2024; 43(1):56.

PMID: 38664782 PMC: 11046848. DOI: 10.1186/s41043-024-00534-2.

The various facets of orthorexic eating behavior: five case reports of individuals with supposed orthorexia nervosa.

Barthels F, Fischer M, Keskini R, Schol A, Pietrowsky R J Eat Disord. 2024; 12(1):31.

PMID: 38383470 PMC: 10882829. DOI: 10.1186/s40337-024-00988-z.

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