Diverse adaptive and maladaptive eating behaviours exist, yet research is needed to understand their inter-relationships. This study investigated the factor structure underlying a broad spectrum of eating attitudes and behaviours, and their associations with wellbeing outcomes and clinical impairment. Two samples of women ( M age = 24 years; n 1 = 400, n 2 = 423) completed a survey measuring intuitive eating, mindful eating, disinhibited eating, dietary restraint and restriction, and orthorexia tendencies. Exploratory factor analysis in Sample 1 suggested a five-factor structure, which was supported by confirmatory factor analysis in Sample 2. Results demonstrated one adaptive factor, characterised by Body-Centric Eating; three maladaptive factors, characterised by Dietary Restraint, Disinhibited Eating, and Severe Restriction; and Mechanical Eating, characterised by adherence to routine-based eating. Identifying how adaptive and maladaptive eating behaviours cluster empirically provides insight into the potential role of adaptive eating strategies in reducing maladaptive eating and enhancing wellbeing.
Bell et al. (Sun,) studied this question.