Are orthorexia nervosa symptoms associated with cognitive Inflexibility?

This study investigated whether symptoms of orthorexia nervosa, a conjectured disorder characterized by obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors regarding healthy eating, are associated with cognitive inflexibility. Participants (25 in the orthorexia symptoms group, 25 in the control group) completed the Eating Habits Questionnaire and computerized versions of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and the Trail Making Test. Of the 11 variable measurements from these cognitive tests, only one significantly differed between the groups, with the orthorexia symptoms group making more errors than the control group on the first part of the Trail Making Test that does not actually require any set shifting. These results suggest that although orthorexia is associated with inflexible thoughts and behaviors specific to healthy eating, the condition does not seem to be associated with cognitive inflexibility as an executive function deficit.