9 - Nutritional Characteristics of Orthorexia Nervosa

Summary

Several dietary patterns (e.g. the ‘prudent diet’ being high in fruit and vegetables, legumes, fish and whole grains, the ‘Western diet’ being higher in processed meats, red meats, French fries, sweets and desserts and refined grains) have been identified and described in the scientific literature up to now (Green, 2015). Previous research has established that individuals with orthorexia nervosa are less likely to consume saturated fats or animal fat products (Grammatikopoulou et al., 2018), products high in sugar, snacks, dressings and refined bread (Plichta & Jeżewska-Zychowicz, 2019; Plichta, Jeżewska-Zychowicz & Gębski, 2019). Daily bread consumption amount and carbohydrate intake in individuals with orthorexia nervosa were found to be significantly lower than in those without orthorexia nervosa (Yassıbaş & Gençer Bingöl, 2023). Moreover, the percentage of individuals who do not consume bread was approximately three times higher among individuals with orthorexia nervosa compared to those without orthorexia nervosa. In contrast, individuals with orthorexia nervosa are more likely to consume vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, seeds and meat (Plichta & Jeżewska-Zychowicz, 2019; Plichta, Jeżewska-Zychowicz & Gębski, 2019).