Prevalence of orthorexia nervosa among ashtanga yoga practitioners: a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
Orthorexia nervosa (ON, i.e., fixation on righteous eating) is a poorly defined disordered eating behavior that results from a pathological obsession with food, its purported nutritional value, composition, origin, etc.


METHODS
We investigated the prevalence of ON in a local ashtanga yoga community, by using a validated questionnaire (ORTO-15) that sets a threshold of ON diagnosis at ≤40.


RESULTS
Among the 136 respondents, the mean ORTO-15 score (which was normally distributed) was 35.27 ± 3.69, i.e., 86 % of respondents had an ORTO-15 score lower than 40 and no significant association with age or BMI was recorded. When we analyzed the differential distribution of orthorexia in our cohort, we recorded an association of ORTO-15 score and vegetarianism, i.e., the ORTO-15 score was lower among vegetarians.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this pilot study should suggest ashtanga yoga teachers to avoid excessive reference to a healthy diet, which is natural component of yoga practice.
Laboratory of Functional Foods, IMDEA-Food, CEI UAM+CSIC, C/Faraday 7, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
Jesus
J
Herranz Valera
Patricia
P
Acuña Ruiz
Borja
B
Romero Valdespino
Francesco
F
Visioli
D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D014676:Diet, Vegetarian / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015013:Yoga / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult