Orthorexia Nervosa as a Disorder of Less Intuition and Emotion Dysregulation

Abstract

Emotion regulation difficulties are a significant concern in the realm of eating disorders, serving as either contributing factors or ongoing challenges. While extensive research has explored these issues within prominent eating disorders like anorexia (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN), there is a noticeable gap when it comes to understanding emotion regulation difficulties (ERD) and intuitive eating (IE) characteristics in the context of orthorexia nervosa (ON). This study aims to bridge this knowledge gap by introducing a quantitative approach to investigate ERD and IE in a Turkish population affected by ON, involving 159 participants. The study's primary findings reveal that ON represents a non-adaptive eating behavior inherently marked by ERD. Notably, a significant gender difference was observed, indicating that men exhibit a higher likelihood of displaying orthorexic tendencies compared to women . Prior research has highlighted the importance of ERD and the absence of IE in the context of AN and BN. This study extends these findings to assert that these emotional factors also constitute critical criteria in the understanding and treatment of ON. Thus, clinicians should be attentive to the emotional aspects when addressing individuals affected by ON.

Keywords

• orthorexia nervosa
• emotion regulation
• intuitive eating
• eating disorder