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Logan AC, D'Adamo CR, Pizzorno JE, Prescott SL. "Food faddists and pseudoscientists!": Reflections on the history of resistance to ultra-processed foods. Explore (NY) 2024; 20:470-476. [PMID: 38176973 DOI: 10.1016/j.explore.2023.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
The term 'ultra-processed food' emerged in the 1980s, mostly used in reference to highly-processed convenience foods and snacks, often energy-dense, poor in nutrients, and inclusive of various synthetic additives such as emulsifiers, colors, artificial sweeteners, and/or flavor enhancers. Concern over such foods was part of the growing holistic and environmental health movements of the 1970-80s; yet, those who raised alarm about the encroachment of ultra-processed foods were often labeled, especially by industry and their powerful allies, as 'food faddists' and 'pseudoscientists'. Today, the topic of ultra-processed foods is generating massive personal, public, and planetary health interest. However, other than discussing the history of the NOVA food classification system, a useful tool that has allowed researchers to more accurately separate foods based on processing, most lay media and academic articles are ahistorical. That is, there is a tendency to present the term ultra-processed food(s) as a relatively new entrance into the lexicon, and by default, the idea that health-related pushback on ultra-processed foods is a relatively new phenomenon. This omission overlooks decades of determined advocacy and clinical work, much of it by pioneers within the holistic medicine (now integrative, functional, and lifestyle medicine) movement. Here in this reflection paper, the authors will use historical research and reporting to fill in the historical gap and articulate the saliency of why it matters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan C Logan
- Nova Institute for Health, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA.
| | - Christopher R D'Adamo
- Nova Institute for Health, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | | | - Susan L Prescott
- Nova Institute for Health, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Medical School, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia; The ORIGINS Project, Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
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Foyster M, Sultan N, Tonkovic M, Govus A, Burton-Murray H, Tuck CJ, Biesiekierski JR. Assessing the presence and motivations of orthorexia nervosa among athletes and adults with eating disorders: a cross-sectional study. Eat Weight Disord 2023; 28:101. [PMID: 38070009 PMCID: PMC10710386 DOI: 10.1007/s40519-023-01631-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Orthorexia nervosa involves restricting diet based on quality rather than quantity. Although orthorexia is well reported in many at-risk populations, limited data addresses its presence in individuals with eating disorder history (EDs) or athletes. We aimed to identify the presence and potential drivers of orthorexia in adults with EDs and endurance athletes, compared to control subjects. METHODS Participants ≥ 18y included: people with a diagnosed eating disorder (ED as per DSM-5); endurance athletes (training/competing ≥ 5 h/week); or control subjects. Participants (n = 197) completed an online survey assessing orthorexia (eating habits questionnaire, EHQ), eating motivations (TEMS-B) and compulsive exercise (CET). RESULTS ED had the highest orthorexia symptom severity (92.0 ± 3.02, n = 32), followed by athletes (76.2 ± 2.74, n = 54) and controls (71.0 ± 1.80, n = 111) (F (2) = 18.2, p < 0.001). A strong positive correlation existed between weight control motives and higher orthorexia symptom severity (r = 0.54, 95% CI [1.35, 2.36], p < 0.001), while a weak negative association existed between Hunger and Pleasure motives and higher orthorexia symptom severity (r = 0.23, 95% CI [- 2.24, - 0.34], p = 0.008; r = 0.26, 95% CI [- 2.11, - 0.47], p = 0.002, respectively). A moderate positive relationship was found between CET and orthorexia symptom severity (95% CI [1.52, 3.12], p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Adults with ED history and endurance athletes have greater orthorexia symptom severity compared to control. Clinicians working with at-risk populations should screen patients and be aware of red-flags of orthorexic traits, desire to control weight, and compulsive exercise behavior. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III: Evidence obtained from cohort studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandy Foyster
- Department of Dietetics, Nutrition and Sport, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Nessmah Sultan
- Department of Dietetics, Nutrition and Sport, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
- Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, Monash University, Notting Hill, VIC, Australia
| | - Matilda Tonkovic
- Department of Dietetics, Nutrition and Sport, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Andrew Govus
- Department of Dietetics, Nutrition and Sport, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Helen Burton-Murray
- Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Caroline J Tuck
- Department of Dietetics, Nutrition and Sport, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
- Department of Nursing and Allied Health, Swinburne University, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
| | - Jessica R Biesiekierski
- Department of Dietetics, Nutrition and Sport, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia.
- Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, Monash University, Notting Hill, VIC, Australia.
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Greene AK, Norling HN, Brownstone LM, Maloul EK, Roe C, Moody S. Visions of recovery: a cross-diagnostic examination of eating disorder pro-recovery communities on TikTok. J Eat Disord 2023; 11:109. [PMID: 37400909 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-023-00827-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals seeking support or inspiration for eating disorder recovery may turn to pro-recovery content on social media sites such as TikTok. While research has thus far treated pro-recovery social media as a fairly homogeneous space, many pro-recovery hashtags single out particular eating disorder diagnoses. This exploratory study used codebook thematic analysis of 241 popular pro-recovery videos on TikTok to compare the presentation of eating disorders and eating disorder recovery across five different diagnosis-specific hashtags: #anarecovery, #arfidrecovery, #bedrecovery, #miarecovery, and #orthorexiarecovery. These hashtags refer to the following eating disorder diagnoses respectively: anorexia nervosa, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, binge eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, and orthorexia nervosa. Our analysis generated the following qualitative themes across the entire dataset: (1) centrality of food to eating disorders and recovery, (2) what eating disorders look and feel like, (3) recovery as a process, (4) getting and giving help, and (5) negotiating diet culture in recovery. To supplement our qualitative findings and facilitate cross-diagnostic comparisons, we also conducted one-way ANOVAs and chi-square tests to probe for statistically significant differences in audience engagement and code prevalence across the different hashtags. Our results indicate that there are clear differences in how recovery is envisioned on TikTok based on which diagnostic hashtags are employed. Such variations in how different eating disorders are imagined on popular social media demand further investigation and clinical consideration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda K Greene
- Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, 2800 Plymouth Road, Bldg. 14, G016, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
| | - Hannah N Norling
- Department of Counseling Psychology, Morgridge College of Education, University of Denver, 1999 East Evans Avenue, Denver, CO, 80208-1700, USA
| | - Lisa M Brownstone
- Department of Counseling Psychology, Morgridge College of Education, University of Denver, 1999 East Evans Avenue, Denver, CO, 80208-1700, USA
| | - Elana K Maloul
- Department of English Language and Literature, University of Michigan, 435 South State Street, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, USA
| | - Caity Roe
- Department of Counseling Psychology, Morgridge College of Education, University of Denver, 1999 East Evans Avenue, Denver, CO, 80208-1700, USA
| | - Sarah Moody
- Department of Counseling Psychology, Morgridge College of Education, University of Denver, 1999 East Evans Avenue, Denver, CO, 80208-1700, USA
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Lasson C, Rousseau A, Vicente S, Goutaudier N, Romo L, Roncero M, Barrada JR. Orthorexic eating behaviors are not all pathological: a French validation of the Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS). J Eat Disord 2023; 11:65. [PMID: 37106441 PMCID: PMC10139919 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-023-00764-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
As no French validated measurement tool distinguishing healthy orthorexia (HeOr) from orthorexia nervosa (OrNe) currently exists, this study aimed at examining psychometric properties of the French version of the Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS). A sample of 799 participants (Mean [SD] age: 28.5 [12.1] years-old) completed the French versions of the TOS, the Düsseldorfer Orthorexia Skala, the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire, and the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised. Confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) were used. Although the bidimensional model, with OrNe and HeOr, of the original 17-item version showed an adequate fit, we suggest excluding items 9 and 15. The bidimensional model for the shortened version provided a satisfactory fit (ESEM model: CFI = .963, TLI = .949, RMSEA = .068). The mean loading was .65 for HeOr and .70 for OrNe. The internal consistency of both dimensions was adequate (αHeOr = .83 and αOrNe = .81). Partial correlations showed that eating disorders and obsessive-compulsive symptomatology measures were positively related to OrNe and unrelated or negatively related to HeOr. The scores from the 15-item French version of the TOS in the current sample appears to present an adequate internal consistency, pattern of associations in line with what was theoretically expected, and promising for differentiating both types of orthorexia in a French population. We discuss why both dimensions of orthorexia should be considered in this area of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clotilde Lasson
- Laboratoire CERPPS (Centre d'Etudes Et de Recherches en Psychopathologie Et Psychologie de La Santé), Université Toulouse-Jean Jaurès, UT2J, 5 allées Antonio Machado, 31058, Toulouse, France.
| | - Amélie Rousseau
- Laboratoire CERPPS (Centre d'Etudes Et de Recherches en Psychopathologie Et Psychologie de La Santé), Université Toulouse-Jean Jaurès, UT2J, 5 allées Antonio Machado, 31058, Toulouse, France
| | - Siobhan Vicente
- Centre de Recherches Sur La Cognition Et L'Apprentissage-CeRCA-(CNRS, UMR 7295) MSHS, Université de Poitiers, 5 Rue Théodore Lefebvre, 86073, Poitiers Cedex 9, France
| | - Nelly Goutaudier
- Centre de Recherches Sur La Cognition Et L'Apprentissage-CeRCA-(CNRS, UMR 7295) MSHS, Université de Poitiers, 5 Rue Théodore Lefebvre, 86073, Poitiers Cedex 9, France
| | - Lucia Romo
- UR4430 CLIPSYD, Université Paris Nanterre; HU Raymond-Poincaré, Inserm CESP 1018 UPS, Nanterre, France
| | - María Roncero
- Departamento de Personalidad, Evaluación y Tratamientos Psicológicos, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Juan Ramón Barrada
- Departamento de Psicología y Sociología, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
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Anastasiades E, Argyrides M. Exploring the role of positive body image in healthy orthorexia and orthorexia nervosa: A gender comparison. Appetite 2023; 185:106523. [PMID: 36871603 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.106523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
Current scholarship on orthorexia nervosa remains undecided about the role of body image in this novel eating disorder. This study aimed to explore the role of positive body image in differentiating between healthy orthorexia and orthorexia nervosa and assess how this might differ for men and women. A total of 814 participants (67.1% women; age M = 40.30, SD = 14.50) completed the Teruel Orthorexia scale, as well as measures of embodiment, intuitive eating, body appreciation and functionality appreciation. A cluster analysis revealed four distinct profiles characterized by high healthy orthorexia and low orthorexia nervosa; low healthy orthorexia and low orthorexia nervosa; low healthy orthorexia and high orthorexia nervosa; and high healthy orthorexia and high orthorexia nervosa. A MANOVA identified significant differences for positive body image between these four clusters, as well as that there were no significant differences between men and women for healthy orthorexia and orthorexia nervosa, despite men scoring significantly higher than women on all measures of positive body image. Cluster × gender interaction effects were found for intuitive eating, functionality appreciation, body appreciation and experience of embodiment. These findings indicate that the role of positive body image in healthy orthorexia and orthorexia nervosa may differ for men and women, making these relationships worthy of further exploration.
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Jun J, Wickersham K, Zain A, Ford R, Zhang N, Ciccarelli C, Kim SH, Liang C. Cancer and COVID-19 Vaccines on Twitter:The Voice and Vaccine Attitude of Cancer Community. JOURNAL OF HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2023; 28:1-14. [PMID: 36755484 DOI: 10.1080/10810730.2023.2168800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
We investigate social media discourses on the relationship between cancer and COVID-19 vaccines focusing on the key textual topics, themes reflecting the voice of cancer community, authors who contribute to the discourse, and valence toward vaccines. We analyzed 6,427 tweets about cancer and COVID-19 vaccines, posted from when vaccines were approved in the U.S. (December 2020) to the February 2022. We mixed quantitative text mining, manual coding and statistical analysis, and inductive qualitative thematic analysis. Nearly 16% of the tweets posted by a cancer community member mentioned about refusal or delay of their vaccination at the state/local level during the initial rollout despite the CDC's recommendation to prioritize adults with high-risk medical conditions. Most tweets posted by cancer patients (pro = 82.4% vs. anti = 5.1%) and caregivers (pro = 89.2% vs. anti = 4.2%) showed positive valence toward vaccines and advocated for vaccine uptake increase among cancer patients and the general population. Vaccine hesitancy, self-reported adverse events, and COVID-19 disruption of cancer treatment also appeared as key themes. The cancer community called for actions to improve vaccination procedures to become safe and accessible especially for elderly cancer patients, develop COVID-19 vaccines suitable for varying type, stage, and treatment of cancer, and advance cancer vaccines. Future research should continue surveilling conversations around continuous impacts of COVID-19 interference with the cancer control continuum, beyond vaccination, focusing on the voice and concern of cancer community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jungmi Jun
- School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Karen Wickersham
- College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Ali Zain
- School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Rachel Ford
- School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Nanlan Zhang
- School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Carl Ciccarelli
- School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Sei-Hill Kim
- Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Chen Liang
- Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
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Hanchard M. Issue-networks as omitted publics in the construction of #rarediseaseday discourse. Wellcome Open Res 2022. [DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.18433.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Over 450 million people worldwide have a rare disease. Yet despite healthcare policy rhetoric placing an onus on inclusive public engagement, rare disease publics are often engaged as data sources or product/service consumers. Meanwhile, various rare disease actors congregate around ‘Rare Disease Day’ each year – a global event with various online and offline talks, workshops, and sessions. In 2021, ~4.3 million tweets marked Twitter as a locus of exchange for the event. Methods: To examine public discourse around the event, the paper draws on social network and qualitative analyses of 40,366 Twitter tweets/retweets about rare disease day 2021 posted between 10-Feb-2021 and 10-Mar-2021, analysing them through a controversy theory lens. After identifying particularly influential Twitter users and groups, the paper examines their textual and visual communication strategies. Results: It funds three distinct orientations to rare disease discourse on Twitter (mission, awareness, and actor). In doing so, the paper locates a gap in direct engagement between medical authority and patients. Conclusions: It suggests that each orientation towards the discourse around rare disease day 2021 might be used by policymakers and researchers to engage with rare disease publics on social media in a more inclusive way as a pathway to better healthcare provision.
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Yakın E, Obeid S, Fekih-Romdhane F, Soufia M, Sawma T, Samaha S, Mhanna M, Azzi R, Mina A, Hallit S. "In-between orthorexia" profile: the co-occurrence of pathological and healthy orthorexia among male and female non-clinical adolescents. J Eat Disord 2022; 10:155. [PMID: 36329509 PMCID: PMC9633027 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-022-00673-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The profile of adolescents with orthorexic eating behaviors remains to be explored. This study is the first to explore the typology of Lebanese adolescents from a large non-clinical sample based on orthorexia nervosa (ON) and healthy orthorexia (HO). METHOD A total of 555 adolescents (aged between 15 and 18 years) completed a set of questionnaires assessing orthorexic behaviors, self-esteem, stress, depressive and anxiety symptoms. Cluster analysis based on ON and HO scores was used to identify the typology of the sample. More precisely, this analysis was used to reveal and distinguish between naturally occurring subgroups of individuals with different orthorexic eating profiles, within the studied sample. Further, a series of one-way ANOVA was used to compare observed clusters based on their scores on used questionnaires. This analysis was used to capture the behavioral and psychological differences between previously yielded subgroups of individuals. RESULTS Cluster analysis based on ON and HO scores yielded 3 distinct groups: "Low orthorexia", "Moderate in-between orthorexia" and "High in-between orthorexia". While the first group represented individuals with no particular (healthy or pathological) interest in healthy eating, the two latter groups represented those with respectively moderate and high degrees of an interest in healthy eating that has both pathological and healthy aspects. Significant differences between clusters regarding their levels of stress, depression, anxiety and self-esteem was observed, yet they were found to be negligible due to poor effect sizes. CONCLUSION Findings from this study suggest that ON and HO can indeed co-occur among adolescents, that this co-occurrence can be experienced at different severity levels. Low effect sizes for ANOVA comparisons may suggest the possibility of the co-occurrence of ON and HO reducing the negative effects of ON behavior to some degree. The potential role of confusion around what constitutes "healthy eating" in the emergence of these "in-between orthorexia" profiles is put forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ecem Yakın
- Centre d'Études et de Recherches en Psychopathologie et Psychologie de la Santé, Université de Toulouse-Jean Jaurès, UT2J, 5 allées Antonio Machado, 31058, Toulouse, France
| | - Sahar Obeid
- Social and Education Sciences Department, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Jbeil, Lebanon
| | - Feten Fekih-Romdhane
- The Tunisian Center of Early Intervention in Psychosis, Department of Psychiatry "Ibn Omrane", Razi Hospital, 2010, Manouba, Tunisia.,Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Michel Soufia
- School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, P.O. Box 446, Jounieh, Lebanon
| | - Toni Sawma
- Social and Education Sciences Department, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Jbeil, Lebanon
| | - Serena Samaha
- School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, P.O. Box 446, Jounieh, Lebanon
| | - Mariam Mhanna
- School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, P.O. Box 446, Jounieh, Lebanon
| | - Reine Azzi
- School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, P.O. Box 446, Jounieh, Lebanon
| | - Anthony Mina
- School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, P.O. Box 446, Jounieh, Lebanon
| | - Souheil Hallit
- School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, P.O. Box 446, Jounieh, Lebanon. .,Research Department, Psychiatric Hospital of the Cross, Jal Eddib, Lebanon.
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Valente M, Renckens S, Bunders-Aelen J, Syurina EV. The #orthorexia community on Instagram. Eat Weight Disord 2022; 27:473-482. [PMID: 33835422 PMCID: PMC8933345 DOI: 10.1007/s40519-021-01157-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE This mixed-methods study delved into the relationship between orthorexia nervosa (ON) and Instagram. METHODS Two quantitative data sources were used: content analysis of pictures using #orthorexia (n = 3027), and an online questionnaire investigating the experience of ON and the use of Instagram of people sharing ON-related content on Instagram (n = 185). Following, interviews (n = 9) were conducted with people posting ON-related content on Instagram and self-identifying as having (had) ON. RESULTS People who share ON-related content on Instagram were found to be primarily young women (questionnaire = 95.2% females, mean age 26.2 years; interviews = 100% females, mean age 28.4 years), who were found to be heavy social media users and favor Instagram over other platforms. Questionnaire respondents agreed in defining ON as an obsession with a diet considered healthy, with bio-psycho-social negative consequences, though those who self-identified as having (had) ON were more likely to point out the negative impairments of ON. Interviewees deemed Instagram partially responsible for the development of ON. Instead, they agreed that Instagram encourages problem realization. Content analysis showed that ON is encoded in pictures of 'food', 'people', 'text' and 'other.' Interviewees revealed that they started posting to recover, share information, help others, and they felt inspired to post by other accounts. A sense of belonging to the #orthorexia community emerged, where people share values and ideals, and seek validation from others. CONCLUSION Conversations around #orthorexia on Instagram generate supportive communities aiding recovery. Individuals use Instagram for helping others and themselves recovering from ON. Understanding how people help each other, manage their health, cope with symptoms, and undertake recovery can inform the implementation of therapeutic interventions for ON. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III, evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case-control analytic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Valente
- Athena Institute, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Sophie Renckens
- Athena Institute, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joske Bunders-Aelen
- Athena Institute, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Elena V Syurina
- Athena Institute, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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