Orthorexia nervosa and its association with narcissism in fitness center users.

PURPOSE: Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is an eating behavior where patients obsessively try to reach health through "purity" of food. Narcissism is a personality trait characterized with the self-belief of grandiosity, importance and need of appreciation. Both of these conditions are connected through self-image in way of reaching perfection through health and body image, whereas one of the ways for reaching it is exercising. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate ON and its possible association with narcissism in fitness center users. METHODS: The study included 1017 fitness center users and three questionnaires were used for the assessment: general information, ORTO-R and Narcissistic personality inventory-13 (NPI-13). RESULTS: There was a significant negative correlation (r = - 0.467, p < 0.001) between the ORTO-R score and the NPI-13 score. Comparison of the ORTO-R score between different durations of using a fitness center showed statistically significant differences (H = 134.72, p < 0.001). The subjects who are using the fitness center for less than 1 year have the highest ORTO-R score, while those who are using it 1-3 years have the lowest ORTO-R score. Moreover, multiple linear regression showed that ORTO-R score retained significant association with NPI-13 (ß ± SE, - 0.416 ± 0.026, p < 0.001) and the duration of using a fitness center (0.576 ± 0.068, p < 0.001) after model adjustment for age and BMI. CONCLUSION: These results are implying that fitness center users could possibly be vulnerable of developing ON and that there is a strong association between ON and narcissism in this population. However, future larger-scale longitudinal studies are needed to address these findings. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V, cross-sectional survey-based study.

Adherence to Mediterranean Diet and Tendency to Orthorexia Nervosa in Professional Athletes.

Among many lifestyle components that professional athletes have to follow, nutrition is gradually growing to be one of the key factors for achieving and maintaining optimal sport performance. The Mediterranean diet (MD) is recognized as one of the healthiest dietary patterns worldwide; however, data regarding adherence to the MD among professional athletes are still scarce. Moreover, with the imposed need for a healthy diet among professional athletes, orthorexia nervosa (ON) could become a rising issue. This cross-sectional study included 150 professional athletes and 150 matched recreational athletes from Croatia. Four questionnaires were used for the assessment: general information, a test for the diagnosis of ON (ORTO-15), the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and the Mediterranean Diet Serving Score (MDSS). Significantly more professional athletes were adherent to the MD (p < 0.001) and had a tendency to ON (p < 0.001). Moreover, there was a significant negative correlation between the ORTO-15 score and the total MET min/week score (r = -0.524, p < 0.001) and a significant positive correlation between the MDSS score and the total MET min/week score in the professional athlete group (r = 0.478, p < 0.001). All of these results imply that professional athletes are more concentrated on their dietary patterns than recreational athletes, and that due to this dedication, they possibly have a higher adherence to the MD but also possibly a higher risk for developing ON. However, the association between ON and the MD should be further addressed in the future.

Obsessed with Healthy Eating: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies Assessing Orthorexia Nervosa in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus.

Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is an unspecified feeding or eating disorder (USFED) characterized by an exaggerated, unhealthy obsession with healthy eating. Τypical eating disorders (EDs) and USFEDs are common among patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), which complicates metabolic control and disease outcomes. The present systematic review summarizes the evidence on the prevalence of ON symptomatology among patients with DM. PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and grey literature were searched, and relevant observational studies were screened using the Rayyan software. The quality of the studies was assessed using the appraisal tool for cross-sectional studies (AXIS) and the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS). Out of 4642 studies, 6 fulfilled the predefined criteria and were included in the qualitative synthesis. Most studies relied on the ORTO-15 or its adaptations to identify ON among patients with DM. No apparent sex or age differences exist regarding the prevalence of ON symptoms. None of the studies compared the prevalence of ON in patients with type 1 and type 2 DM. Most of the research was of average to good methodological quality. In conclusion, patients with DM often exhibit ON tendencies, although research is still limited regarding the etiology or mechanistic drivers behind ON and the characteristics of patients with a dual ON-DM diagnosis.

Consumo alimentar de indivíduos com ortorexia e sua relação com nível de atividade física / Food consumption of individuals with ortorexia and its relationship with physical activity level

Objetivo: Comparar o consumo alimentar entre indivíduos identificados com e sem ortorexia, e suas diferenças em relação ao nível de atividade física. Métodos: Estudo transversal, com uma amostra de 59 indivíduos adultos (30 mulheres e 29 homens), com idade entre 18 e 50 anos, de ambos os sexos. Os participantes foram avaliados e divididos segundo nível e tipo de atividade física (fisicamente ativos: > 150min de exercício por semana). A presença de ortorexia foi avaliada pelo questionário ORTO-15, e o consumo alimentar avaliado por recordatório habitual de um dia. A análise estatística foi feita por teste t Student ou U de Mann-Whitney, para comparação entre os grupos com e sem ortorexia. A comparação dos dados descritos como frequências absolutas e percentuais foi realizada por qui-quadrado. Resultados: A média de idade dos indivíduos avaliados foi de 31, 2 ± 8,9 anos. Houve prevalência de ortorexia de 78%, sendo maior nos indivíduos fisicamente ativos (86% vs 65%; p=0,05). Indivíduos com ortorexia consumiam mais proteínas em relação às gramas por dia, por kg, percentual do valor energético total e kcal (p<0,05); e tinham um consumo mais baixo de carboidratos em relação ao percentual do valor energético total (p<0,05), em comparação aos sem ortorexia. Esse padrão se manteve significativo apenas dentro do grupo fisicamente ativo. Conclusão: Os resultados deste estudo sugerem que a ortorexia pode estar associada à prática de exercício físico e a um comportamento alimentar com maior consumo de proteínas e baixo em carboidratos. (AU)

Objective: To compare food consumption among individuals identified with or without orthorexia, and their differences in relation to the level of physical activity. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out with a sample of 59 adult individuals (30 women and 29 men), aged between 18 and 50 years, of both sexes. Participants were assessed and divided about level and type of physical activity (physically active: >150min of exercise per week). Presence of orthorexia was evaluated by ORTO-15 questionnaire, and food consumption was evaluated by a usual one-day recall. Statistical analysis was done by T-Student or Mann-Whitney U Test for comparison between groups with and without orthorexia. Comparison of data described as absolute and percentage frequencies was performed by chi-square. Results: The mean age of the sample evaluated was 31.2 ± 8.9 years. There was a prevalence of orthorexia of 78%, being higher in physically active individuals (86% versus 65%, p = 0.05). Individuals with orthorexia consumed more protein in relation to grams per day, kg, percentage of total energy value and kcal (p <0.05); and had lower intake of carbohydrates than the percentage of total energy value (p <0.05), compared to those without orthorexia. This pattern remained significant only in the physically active group. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that orthorexia may be associated with physical exercise and eating behavior with higher intakes of protein and low carbohydrates. (AU)