Assessment of the risk of orthorexia in a group of people associated with the profession of a dietitian

Julia Maria Szaniawska, Justyna Nowak

Abstract


Introduction: Nowadays, due to social media, cultural and social factors, there is an increasing trend in the occurrence of eating disorders. One of them is orthorexia, defined as excessive thinking and concentration on food perceived as healthy. A group particularly at risk of this disorder is considered to be people associated with the profession of a dietitian. 
The aim of the study was to assess the risk of orthorexia in a group of people associated with the profession of a dietitian. 
Materials and methods: The study was conducted in a group of 303 people associated with the profession of a dietitian. The study was conducted using an original questionnaire enriched with the previously validated ORTO-15 questionnaire. The cut-off point was set at 35 points. The lower the result, the higher the risk of orthorexia. The study shows that the study group belonged to the risk group of people affected by orthorexia. 
Results: Almost half of the study group – 54.1% (n = 164) received a result from the ORTO-15 questionnaire indicating the occurrence of orthorexia. What is more, it was noticed that the largest number of respondents – 62.6% (n = 67) who were diagnosed with a high risk of orthorexia were in the age group of 19–24, while the smallest group in this respect were people from the age group of 35–60 – 47.1% (n = 32). Additionally, the study shows that in the group of people with a BMI indicating excessive body weight, the risk of orthorexia was found among 66.7% (n = 18) of the respondents, while among people with a BMI indicating a normal body weight, 52.9% (n = 146) of the respondents. 
Conclusions: Based on the study, it was noticed that the occurrence of eating disorders is influenced by many factors, and one of them is the profession.

Keywords


orthorexia; eating disorder; dietetician; risk factors

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.21164/pomjlifesci.1142

Copyright (c) 2025 Julia Maria Szaniawska, Justyna Nowak

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