#Orthorexia on Instagram: a descriptive study exploring the online conversation and community using the Netlytic software

Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is a relatively new phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to investigate (1) the #orthorexia conversation on Instagram (using the Netlytic software), and (2) among a random subsample of images (N=245), analyse the types of images (N=145) and author biographies (N=68). Among the 4,533 downloaded records, there were 48,780 unique words associated with the posts, with the most commonly used being love (n=535) and #edrecovery (n=425). Among the images, the majority contained food (68%) and people (13%). Among the unique authors, the majority were female (84%) and mentioned ED (eating disorder) recovery and being food/fitness focused. The ON community on Instagram is relatively small and the positive conversation may suggest a supportive community that focuses on recovery and adopting healthier eating behaviours.Level of evidence Level V, descriptive study.