A Comparative Analysis of Obesity Prejudice, Orthorexia Nervosa, and Fatphobia Among Nutrition and Dietetics Students, Clinical Dietitians, and the General Population

Objective: Weight-related biases, including orthorexia nervosa, fatphobia, and obesity prejudice, are significant social and health issues, particularly within nutrition-related fields. This study aimed to compare these biases among nutrition and dietetics students, clinical dietitians, and the general population. Methods: This cross-sectional study, conducted between May and July 2024, included 837 participants comprising 301 nutrition and dietetics students (mean age: 19.9 ± 7.5 years), 227 clinical dietitians (mean age: 30.2 ± 9.0 years), and 309 individuals from the general population (mean age: 24.4 ± 7.5 years). Orthorexic tendencies were assessed using the ORTO-11 scale, attitudes toward body weight were measured by the Fatphobia Scale, and obesity-related stigma was evaluated using the GAMS-27 Obesity Prejudice Scale. Results: Significant differences were observed in orthorexia nervosa tendencies, fatphobia, and obesity prejudice across the groups. Nutrition and dietetics students had the highest orthorexic tendencies, while clinical dietitians had the lowest orthorexic tendencies among the groups (F=90.114, p