Graduate Program
Clinical Psychology
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Semester of Degree Completion
2012
Thesis Director
Russell Gruber
Thesis Committee Member
Anu Sharma
Thesis Committee Member
John Best
Abstract
A new concept called orthorexia nervosa has recently become more prevalent in scientific journal articles. Orthorexia nervosa has been defined as a fixation on eating only healthy foods, spending hours ruminating on meals, and an obsession with proper nutrition (Bratman, 1997). Several studies have attempted to investigate this concept, establish prevalence rates, and determine whether orthorexia is a disorder. Some studies have found an association between eating disorders, anxiety, and orthorexia as well as posited risk factors such as higher body-mass index, level of education, and sex. The present study examined an individual's scores on measures of orthorexia, anxiety, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and satisfaction with life, in an American college sample. It was hypothesized that orthorexia would positively correlate with anxiety and OCD, have a negative association with eating disorders, be more prevalent in men, and that lower body-mass index would have a positive association with quality of life. The results of the study indicated that there is not an association between anxiety, OCD, and orthorexia, but that there is a positive association with symptoms of orthorexia and disordered eating. The findings also indicate that there is a positive correlation between low BMI and higher quality of life, and that there is no difference in the number of orthorexia symptoms endorsed by men or women.
Recommended Citation
Shah, Sonia Mahesh, "Orthorexia nervosa: Healthy eating or eating disorder?" (2012). Masters Theses. 991.
https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/991
