Nassim Tabri1,2, Jayson J Yung3, Corinna M Elliott4. 1. Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada. nassim.tabri@carleton.ca. 2. Mental Health and Well-Being Research and Training Hub, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada. nassim.tabri@carleton.ca. 3. Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada. 4. Mental Health and Well-Being Research and Training Hub, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Orthorexia nervosa (ON) involves a maladaptive preoccupation with healthy eating through strict dietary rules that negatively affect physical and mental health. Recent evidence suggests that ON symptoms may stem, in part, from having a health-focused self-concept (i.e., overvaluing the importance of health for self-definition and self-worth). Herein, fear of losing control over eating unhealthy foods and disgust for unhealthy foods were examined as potential mediators of the association between health-focused self-concept and ON symptoms. METHODS: The parallel mediation model was tested using a community sample of people who believe they are currently following a healthy eating diet plan and/or believe they are leading a healthy eating lifestyle (N = 442). Participants were recruited from Amazon's Mechanical Turk and completed a questionnaire battery that included the Health-Focused Self-Concept Scale, questionnaires assessing fear of losing control over eating unhealthy food and disgust with unhealthy food, and the Orthorexia Nervosa Inventory. RESULTS: As expected, a health-focused self-concept was indirectly and positively associated with ON symptoms via fear and disgust. CONCLUSION: The findings conceptually replicate and extend prior research on anorexia nervosa supporting the transdiagnostic utility of a focused self-concept, fear of losing control, and disgust across eating disorders. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study.
PURPOSE: Orthorexia nervosa (ON) involves a maladaptive preoccupation with healthy eating through strict dietary rules that negatively affect physical and mental health. Recent evidence suggests that ON symptoms may stem, in part, from having a health-focused self-concept (i.e., overvaluing the importance of health for self-definition and self-worth). Herein, fear of losing control over eating unhealthy foods and disgust for unhealthy foods were examined as potential mediators of the association between health-focused self-concept and ON symptoms. METHODS: The parallel mediation model was tested using a community sample of people who believe they are currently following a healthy eating diet plan and/or believe they are leading a healthy eating lifestyle (N = 442). Participants were recruited from Amazon's Mechanical Turk and completed a questionnaire battery that included the Health-Focused Self-Concept Scale, questionnaires assessing fear of losing control over eating unhealthy food and disgust with unhealthy food, and the Orthorexia Nervosa Inventory. RESULTS: As expected, a health-focused self-concept was indirectly and positively associated with ON symptoms via fear and disgust. CONCLUSION: The findings conceptually replicate and extend prior research on anorexia nervosa supporting the transdiagnostic utility of a focused self-concept, fear of losing control, and disgust across eating disorders. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study.
Authors: Hellas Cena; Friederike Barthels; Massimo Cuzzolaro; Steven Bratman; Anna Brytek-Matera; Thomas Dunn; Marta Varga; Benjamin Missbach; Lorenzo M Donini Journal: Eat Weight Disord Date: 2018-11-09 Impact factor: 4.652
Authors: Valdo Ricca; Giovanni Castellini; Giulia Fioravanti; Carolina Lo Sauro; Francesco Rotella; Claudia Ravaldi; Lisa Lazzeretti; Carlo Faravelli Journal: Compr Psychiatry Date: 2011-05-26 Impact factor: 3.735