The presence of orthorexia nervosa in the fitness and health practice – review
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Abstract
Background and aims:
Orthorexia nervosa, also known as health food addiction was first described in 1997. Although it is not part of the DSM as an eating disorder, it may become pathological if obsessive thinking, compulsive behavior, self-punishment and escalating restriction take over the individual’s everyday thoughts. The aim of this study is to provide an overview and synthesis of the current body of literature about the relationship between fitness environments and the prevalence of orthorexia.
Results:
We used the online academic databases of Pubmed, ScienceDirect and Web of Science to obtain the selected eight peer reviewed, scientific articles then analyzed them descriptively. We found that health as a moral imperative is present in western culture, often presented in the form of misleading information. This can bring anxiety because of obeying the socioculturally dictated rules, preoccupation with health food, or narrowed thinking.
Discussion and Conclusions:
The employees of the industry should be aware that they work in a high-risk environment of body image issues and eating disorders. Thus, raising awareness and further prospective research is essential
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References
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