Perfectionism and rigidity are the defining features of Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder, or OCPD. These traits appear in eating disorders more often than many people expect. A 2025 study by Touzeau and colleagues examined 208 hospitalised patients with anorexia nervosa, measuring OCPD-related traits and comparing the results with healthy controls.
The findings were consistent. Patients with anorexia nervosa scored significantly higher on measures of rigidity, emotional overcontrol, maladaptive perfectionism, reluctance to delegate, and difficulty tolerating change. Higher scores on these traits were also associated with greater severity of the eating disorder. The traits did not, however, predict how well patients responded to short-term treatment. Average scores also remained lower than those seen in people with a full OCPD diagnosis, pointing to overlap between the two conditions rather than a straightforward equivalence.
This matters clinically. When rigid rules around food and eating sit within a broader pattern of needing things exactly right across many areas of life, treatment aimed only at eating behaviour may fall short. Identifying these underlying traits can inform more considered, longer-term treatment planning.
If perfectionism, rigid control and disordered eating are appearing together for you or someone you care about, speaking with a psychologist who understands both can be a useful step.