Eating clean, feeling broken
A qualitative meta-synthesis of the lived experience of orthorexia nervosa
Datos Bibliográficos
| ID | 9405273 |
|---|---|
| Autores | Panagiota Tragantzopoulou (0000-0002-9678-9928, University of Westminster), Vaitsa Giannouli (0000-0003-2176-8986), Sophia Zachariadou (University of Derby) |
| Año | 2026 |
| Volumen | 264 |
| Páginas | 106387-106387 |
| Fecha de publicación | 2026-02-06 |
| Peer Reviewed | Sí |
| Open Access | Sí |
| Tipo | ARTICLE |
| Revista | Acta Psychologica (JOURNAL) |
| Identificadores de la revista | ISSN: 0001-6918 • E-ISSN: 1873-6297 |
| Editorial | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.106387 |
| PMID | 41653769 |
| OpenAlex | W7128172204 |
| Idioma | EN |
| Referencias citadas | 57 |
Orthorexia nervosa refers to a pathological obsession with healthy eating, yet its classification, causes, and clinical relevance remain contested. This qualitative meta-synthesis explores the lived experiences of individuals with orthorexic behaviors to better understand the psychological, social, and cultural dynamics that sustain this condition. Drawing on thematic synthesis of 16 peer-reviewed, qualitative studies, three major themes emerged: (1) Origins and Motivations for Orthorexic Behavior, highlighting the role of perfectionism, identity, and sociocultural ideals; (2) The Orthorexic Experience and Its Consequences, illustrating the emotional, physical, and social costs of rigid dietary practices; and (3) Individual's Perspectives on Orthorexia as a Disorder, revealing ambivalence toward diagnosis, conceptual confusion, and overlaps with other eating disorders. Findings suggest that orthorexia serves both as a personal coping strategy and a moralized performance of health shaped by contemporary wellness culture. The synthesis reveals how orthorexic behaviors are often normalized, socially reinforced, and deeply tied to individual identity-rendering recognition and recovery particularly challenging. Rather than advocating for diagnostic categorization, this study highlights how orthorexic practices are embedded in broader cultural narratives around health, control, and morality
Ambivalence · Feeling · Lived experience · Narrative · Qualitative research · Sociocultural evolution · Thematic analysis · Body Image and Dysmorphia Studies · Eating Disorders and Behaviors · Psychological Testing and Assessment
NVivo
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That's just healthy eating in my opinion” - Balancing understandings of health and ‘orthorexic’ dietary and exercise practices
And it snowballed from there”
What role do orthorectic beliefs play in orthorexia nervosa and healthy orthorexia? Development and validation of the Orthorexia Beliefs Scale (OBS)
Healthism and the Medicalization of Everyday Life
The Social Construction of a Concept-Orthorexia Nervosa
Online Stigma Resistance in the Pro-Ana Community
Public Expressions of Trust and Distrust in Governmental Dietary Advice in Sweden
Nutritional health, subjectivity and resistance
Health as a meaningful social practice
| Velocidad de citación | historical |
|---|---|
| Altamente citado | No |