Understanding the Dynamics of Extreme Healthy Eating Practices: A Qualitative Exploration of the Role of Online Messages, Culture, and Family

Background

The growing individual preoccupation with healthy eating and food quality has led to the proliferation of dietary-related sources on the internet and the emergence of a new phenomenon in wider literature called orthorexia nervosa. The nature of orthorexia remains a puzzle, and the ways in which discursive styles and messages on websites can influence meaning construction are yet to be understood. Further, qualitative studies in this area have yet to fully explore the role of familial and cultural dynamics in the development of extreme healthy eating practices. Therefore, the current study is premised on the need to deepen the understanding of extreme healthy eating practices, focussing on two cultural settings (British and Greek) and the linguistic devices used on two website genres (healthy eating and pro-eating disorder websites).

Methods

The study adopted two qualitative approaches, with an underlying social constructionist stance. Forty-three healthy eating sites and twenty-four pro-eating disorder websites were analysed using Fairclough’s model of critical discourse analysis. The aim was to understand the discourse used on these websites, explore the commonalities and contrasts between them, and examine the potential effects on eating behaviour. Further, interviews with sixteen British (n=8) and Greek (n=8) individuals who self-identified as being overly concerned with the quality and the preparation of their diet were conducted to explore the influence culture and family have on extreme healthy eating practices.

Findings

Findings from the website analysis indicated that the linguistic devices used on sites established a power dynamic between ‘experts’ and novices. This power dynamic appeared to be aimed at encouraging moral and spiritual adherence to the community’s ethos and dietary regimes, with authors attempting to ‘educate’ their audience on how to discipline their body. Hegemonic beauty ideals were promoted, female bodies were objectified, and food was medicalised. One key difference between the two website genres was that on HE websites, healthy/restrictive eating was portrayed as illness preventative and was related to a better quality of life. In contrast, pro-ED websites presented healthy/restrictive eating as a prerequisite for weight loss which required commitment and self-punishment. Regarding cultural influences explored with interviews, global influences were commonly observed within the two cohorts. Although influences from the Orthodox religion were prominent for Greek participants, both cohorts described a pervasive influence of cultural expectations for female beauty and thinness. Contradictory messages such as the pressure for mass food consumption and ‘quick-fix’ weight loss options were reported by participants, while the influences of social media and the North American food culture on eating practices were viewed with suspicion. Findings regarding the family environment revealed high expectations in relation to school achievements and exercise, coupled with a sense of emotional and physical unavailability of parents. Although most parents were lacking basic knowledge in nutrition, others were described as healthy eaters and nutrition-conscious, teaching their children about the advantages of healthy eating. Parental weight-related comments were reported by female participants, while antagonistic relationships with mothers and female siblings were also discussed.

Conclusion

Taken together, the findings highlight the complex and multifactorial nature of extreme healthy eating practices, confirming that complex factors operate at individual, familial, and cultural levels. Sociocultural influences underlying extreme healthy eating practices and power relationships played on online platforms between businesses and consumers were illuminated, contributing to the understanding of possible transitions towards extreme eating behaviours. The findings also emphasise the ways two different cultural contexts influence meaning construction by identifying similarities and differences between them. Together these studies can inform online users, mental health professionals, and scholars about the underlying motives of certain discourse features and the ways in which family context and different cultures can shape meanings around healthy eating.