When Eating Healthy Becomes Unhealthy: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of the Indirect Effect of Perfectionism on Orthorexia Nervosa Through Obsessive–Compulsive Symptoms

Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is a pathological obsession with eating only healthy and biologically pure food. The primary aim of this study was to explore the relationships between ON, perfectionism, and obsessive–compulsive symptoms in two cultural contexts, i.e., Romania and Germany. Our sample included 600 participants aged 18 to 73 (M = 29.04, SD = 10.30, 79.2% females), i.e., 310 from Romania and 290 from Germany. We tested a moderated mediation model, exploring the mediating effect of obsessive–compulsive symptoms on the link between socially prescribed and self-oriented perfectionism and ON symptoms and the moderating effect of culture (i.e., Western and non-Western) while controlling for age, sex, education, and monthly income. Socially prescribed perfectionism and self-oriented perfectionism were positively related to obsessive–compulsive and ON. Both socially prescribed and self-oriented perfectionism predicted ON through obsessive–compulsive symptoms, but only in the case of German participants. The present study’s results suggest a better understanding of orthorexic behaviors in a cross-cultural context, which might significantly contribute to developing tailored strategies for preventive educational programs and nutritional interventions across different nations.