Obsession or Wellness? Orthorexia Nervosa among Gym Enthusiasts, Athletes, and Nutritionists

Orthorexia nervosa (ON), an emergent eating disorder, presents as an obsession with healthy eating among nutrition and sports professionals as well as fitness enthusiasts. However, it often goes unmonitored. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of ON, an obsession with healthy eating, and its association with the extent of health concerns, exercise addiction, and depression among fitness enthusiasts. Data was collected from 154 respondents aged 18-30 years (45.5% males and 54.5% females) categorized as gym enthusiasts, weight-sensitive sports athletes, and nutritionists using validated questionnaires -ORTO-15, Health Concern Scale, Exercise Addiction Inventory, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9. The prevalence of ON was assessed and the association between ON and other variables was determined using logistic regression. The overall prevalence of ON was 53.24% across the study groups, with the highest prevalence among gym-enthusiasts (63.8%) followed by weight-sensitive athletes (56.1%) and nutritionists (40%) respectively. The ORTO-15 scores showed a significant negative correlation with BMI (r=-0.215), Health Concern Scale (r=-0.438), and Exercise Addiction Inventory (r= -0.370), irrespective of gender and the study group. A significant association between higher health concern scores and the development of ON was observed (71.8% probability, p value=0.002). Orthorexia tendencies were prevalent across the study groups. This highlights the severity of the phenomena. An excessive preoccupation with healthy eating and dietary restrictions may result in mental health consequences, the risk of nutritional deficiencies despite appearing health-conscious, and contribute to an unhealthy fixation on body image.