Currently, orthorexia nervosa is not an established clinical diagnosis and is not listed in the DSM-5. If a clinician makes a diagnosis of orthorexia nervosa, it will likely be based on a thorough patient history and clinical judgment.
Several diagnostic questionnaires have been proposed, but most have major limitations and questionable validity. For example, some of the most widely used questionnaires in orthorexia nervosa research do not distinguish between orthorexia nervosa and “healthy orthorexia” (a general interest in healthy eating that is not harmful), which results in overestimated rates of orthorexia nervosa. Further research is needed to a) determine whether orthorexia nervosa is indeed a standalone diagnosis and b) create a diagnostic tool that can identify orthorexia nervosa with accuracy and specificity.[1][2][3]