Orthorexia & Exercise Addiction in Sports: Impact on Well-being

Original Research: Adaptive Eating Behaviors and Energy Intake

Published under the section ‘Sport and Exercise Nutrition’ of Front. Nutr. in volume 11 (2024), this research article is part of the broader research topic, “Adaptive Eating Behaviors and Energy Intake: Coping Strategies and Their Impact on Health and Performance“. The final, formatted version will be available soon.

Details about the Research

The authors of this research are associated with the Department of Sport and Science at Albert Ludwigs Universität in Freiburg, Germany, the Department for Psychotherapy and Systems Neuroscience at the University of Giessen, Germany, and the Institute for Psychology at the University of Wuppertal, Germany.

Exploring Orthorexia nervosa, Exercise Addiction and their Impact on Well-being

The study investigates the relationship between exercise addiction (ExAdd), orthorexia nervosa (OrNe) – an obsessive fixation on healthy eating, and a non-pathological interest in healthy eating (healthy orthorexia; HeOr). The impact of these behaviors on well-being and exercise activity is also examined, taking into account gender differences.

The research involved two cross-sectional online surveys, totalling 1064 participants, 73.5% of whom were women, with a mean age of 28.23±11.09. Measures used in the surveys included the Exercise Addiction Inventory Revised for ExAdd, the Teruel Orthorexia Scale for OrNe and HeOr, and the WHO-5 Well-Being Index for well-being. The Physical Activity, Exercise, and Sport Questionnaire was employed to measure exercise activity and sports.

Key Findings of the Study

The results indicated that well-being is correlated with OrNe among women but not significantly with ExAdd and HeOr among men. Men in resistance and fitness sports showed a higher correlation of ExAdd with exercise activity. Regression analyses showed that exercise activity, especially in health, resistance and fitness sports, was linked to HeOr, but not to OrNe. ExAdd was associated with exercise activity in diverse sports categories.

From the study, it can be inferred that while men’s well-being may slightly benefit from ExAdd and interest in healthy eating, obsessive healthy eating can reduce women’s well-being. The research also suggests that even though exercise activity is associated with ExAdd in various sports, it does not explain the connection between ExAdd and OrNe. The authors recommend that preventive measures should consider gender-specific risks in excessive health behaviors.

Copyright and Attribution Details

The research is the intellectual property of Wachten, Wurst, Paganini and Strahler. It is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction of this research in other forums is permitted, provided the original authors or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. Unauthorized use, distribution or reproduction is not permitted.

The correspondence for this study can be made to Hanna Wachten at the Department of Sport and Sport Science, Wirtschafts- und Verhaltenswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Albert Ludwigs Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, 79117, Germany.

Disclaimer

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