title: Orthorexia nervosa in the general population: a preliminary screening using a self-administered questionnaire (ORTO-15).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Orthorexia, from the Greek words orthos (straight, proper) and orexis (appetite), is a newly conceptualized disorder characterized by distorted eating habits and cognitions concerning supposedly healthy nutrition. In this article we present preliminary results of a wider research aimed to investigate the diffusion of Orthorexia in the general population and to highlight its characteristics and particularly the relationship with Eating Disorder and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  One-hundred and seventy seven adult subjects from the general population, were administered the ORTO-15 test, a selfadministered questionnaire specifically designed to assess orthorexic symptomatology; note that statistical analyses were repeated twice, referring to different diagnostic thresholds (40/35).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Orthorexia had a 57.6% prevalence in our sample, using the 40-point threshold, with a female/male ratio 2:1; the figure was sensibly lower with the 35-point threshold (21%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study highlight the diffusion of Orthorexia which may constitute an important risk factor for mental and physical health, but also the opportunity of more specific diagnostic instruments, so to facilitate a thorough understanding of this disorder.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Pharmacology, Neurobiology and Biotechnologies, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, 56100 Pisa, Italy. c.ramacciotti@psico.med.unipi.it
authors: C E
authors: CE
authors: Ramacciotti
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Perrone
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Coli
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Burgalassi
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Conversano
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Massimetti
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Dell'Osso
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D009770:Obsessive Behavior / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires