Orthorexic eating patterns among competitive athletes: Etiological factors, health repercussions, and clinical diagnostic approaches
Laura Schneider
2026-03-19
6 min. read
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Contemporary eating disorders span the spectrum from an obsessive quest for an idealized body shape to complete disregard for nutritional principles, invariably resulting in overweight or obesity. Among the most intricate and frequently overlooked phenomena in this domain is orthorexia nervosa—a pathological preoccupation with the perceived purity of food consumption, which disproportionately affects athletic populations. Counterintuitively, despite rigorous training regimens, it may precipitate abnormal weight gain or, in severe instances, lead to profound bodily depletion due to chronic nutrient deficiencies.
Orthorexia in athletes
Orthorexia is a mental eating disorder that is associated with an obsessive focus on healthy and proper nutrition. People with orthorexial disorders avoid many products, processes (fattening, freezing), often refuse normal foods, and count calories, and control the amount of each food they eat. This type of disorder mainly affects people who live an active lifestyle and follow various sports disciplines. These people aim to gain weight, avoid diseases, also develop a sense of control over their own life, etc. It also causes problems of obesity, weight gain, and weight loss, and can lead to long-term weight loss from exercise to weight gain and weight gain. This is because of the fact that many people who do not want to eat or exercise, often have problems with their body weight gain or weight gain as well as other factors, such as weight loss or weight loss.
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