Overview
Orthorexia nervosa is characterized by an obsessive preoccupation with eating healthy food to the detriment of overall well-being and social functioning 1.Diagnosis
Key Diagnostic Criteria: Scoring above a certain threshold on the ORTO-15 questionnaire indicates orthorexia nervosa 1.
Recommended Tests: Use of SF-36 for assessing general health status and IPAQ for evaluating physical activity levels 1.
Grading: No specific grading system mentioned; diagnosis relies on questionnaire scores 1.Management
First-Line Treatments: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is implied as a primary approach, though specific details are not provided in the abstract 1.
Adjunctive Treatments: Nutritional counseling may be beneficial but is not explicitly detailed in the provided abstract 1.Special Populations
Exercise Science Students: Higher prevalence of orthorexia nervosa observed compared to business students, with notable impact on bodily pain and physical activity levels 1.Key Recommendations
Screen exercise science students for orthorexia nervosa using the ORTO-15 questionnaire due to higher prevalence 1 (Evidence: Moderate).
Consider cognitive-behavioral interventions for individuals diagnosed with orthorexia nervosa, particularly in populations with high physical activity engagement 1 (Evidence: Expert opinion).
Monitor and address bodily pain and physical activity levels in students with orthorexia nervosa, as these factors may correlate with symptom severity 1 (Evidence: Moderate).References
1 Malmborg J, Bremander A, Olsson MC, Bergman S. Health status, physical activity, and orthorexia nervosa: A comparison between exercise science students and business students. Appetite 2017. link