An unhealthy health behavior: analysis of orthorexic tendencies among Hungarian gym attendees

• Published in: Eating and weight disorders Vol. 24; no. 1; pp. 13 - 20
• Main Authors: Bóna, Enikő, Szél, Zsuzsanna, Kiss, Dániel, Gyarmathy, V. Anna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.02.2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Eating disorders; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original Article; Orthorexia Nervosa; Physical fitness; Psychiatry; Regression analysis; Orto-11-hu; Orthorexia nervosa; Healthism; Fitness
• ISSN: 1590-1262; 1124-4909; 1590-1262
• DOI: 10.1007/s40519-018-0592-0

Aim In the present study, we aim to assess the prevalence and certain psychological and other correlates of orthorexic tendencies: health and exercise behaviors and demographic variables among gym attendees in Hungary. Methods Altogether, responses of 207 gym attendees who filled out an online questionnaire (03/2017–10/2017) were analyzed. The mean age was 31.9 years; most were female and college educated, and about half resided in the capital city. Frequencies and means were calculated for the sample; and univariate linear regression and ANOVA were carried out. Finally, multivariate linear regression was used to assess the relationship between the dependent variable (Orto-11-Hu) and the independent variables (Eating Disorder Inventory, Maudsley Obsessional-Compulsive Inventory, health and exercise habits, and demographics). Results The mean score for the Orto-11-Hu was 27.7. In the multivariate analysis, two eating disorder characteristics (drive for thinness and interpersonal distrust), age, exercising more than once a day, and yoga practice were significantly associated with higher orthorexic tendencies. There was a lack of correlation between any obsessive–compulsive traits. Conclusions Our data suggest and overlap between certain eating disorder traits, and a link between ON and frequent exercising and younger age. Further research is needed to investigate whether these correlates are found not only in a specific fitness-oriented population, but also in the general population. Level of evidence Level V, descriptive cross-sectional study.