College Students’ Perceptions of Popular Diets and Orthorexia Nervosa

Data suggest that individuals’ purported dietary patterns influence others’ perceptions of them. However, few studies have investigated how adherence to specific popular diets might influence these perceptions. This study investigated female undergraduates’ (n = 463) perceptions of vignette characters described as adhering to specific dietary practices perceptions of a vignette character in a sample of 463 female undergraduates. Characters described as adhering to a Clean Eating diet were viewed most positively, followed by individuals on the Ketogenic diet or nondieters. Characters following an Intermittent Fasting diet, and those with Orthorexia Nervosa were viewed most negatively. These findings support the idea that individuals’ adherence to specific popular diets might influence others’ views of them. Correlates of Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) were also investigated; diet-related impairment and weight bias internalization were positively correlated with ON symptomatology. Attitudes towards the vignette character with ON were not significantly correlated with ON symptomatology. Future research should investigate potential links between impression management and dieting motivation and adherence