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Connecting a health-focused self-concept with orthorexia nervosa symptoms via fear of losing control over eating unhealthy food and disgust for unhealthy food

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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.

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Data availability

All materials (those analyzed in the current research as well materials collected but not analyzed in the current research), statistical outputs, syntax, as well as the analyzed data are publicly available via the Open Science Framework (OSF): https://osf.io/3xdb6/.

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Funding

This research was supported by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada research grant to Tabri [430-2019-00941].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Nassim Tabri & Jayson J. Yung

  2. Mental Health and Well-Being Research and Training Hub, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Nassim Tabri & Corinna M. Elliott

Authors
  1. Nassim Tabri
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  2. Jayson J. Yung
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  3. Corinna M. Elliott
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation was performed by JJY, NT, and CME. Data collection and analysis were performed by JJY and NT. The first draft of the manuscript was written by JJY and NT. All authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Nassim Tabri.

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Conflict of interest

The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

Ethical statement

The research received ethics clearance from Carleton University Research Ethics Board—B

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Tabri, N., Yung, J.J. & Elliott, C.M. Connecting a health-focused self-concept with orthorexia nervosa symptoms via fear of losing control over eating unhealthy food and disgust for unhealthy food. Eat Weight Disord 27, 3569–3578 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-022-01494-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-022-01494-4

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