Orthorexic eating behavior in vegans is linked to health, not to animal welfare

Purpose This study aimed to analyze the association between the importance of several reasons to follow a vegan diet and the degree of orthorexic eating behavior in a sample of vegan individuals (N = 65, 53.8% women, age: M = 28.22 (SD = 9.13) years, BMI: M = 22.91 (SD = 3.44) kg/m(2)). Results The results reveal that orthorexic eating behavior is associated with the importance of the underlying motives health, esthetics and healing, whereas animal welfare, politics and ecology are not linked to orthorexia. Conclusion Hence, this study reveals that a vegan lifestyle is not per se associated with orthorexic eating behavior, but rather that it varies with the underlying motivation for following a vegan diet.