Orthorexia: Taking Healthy Eating Too Far
One of the newest eating disorders, orthorexia, is becoming more prevalent.
This eating disorder, where sufferers have a "fixation on righteous eating," was named in 1997 by Steven Bratman, a Californian doctor.
The chair of the British Dietetic Association's mental health group, Ursula Philpot, said she's seen a big rise in the number of orthorexics in the UK over the past few years. She explained that these people:
Are solely concerned with the quality of the food they put in their bodies, refining and restricting their diets according to their personal understanding of which foods are truly 'pure'.
Orthorexia is thought to stem from some of the same causes of anorexia, but sufferers are usually of a normal weight. There is a danger of becoming malnourished by excessive restrictions, though.
Experts believe the increase in orthorexia may be due to:
- Food scares in the media.
- Companies promoting "pure" (and often pricy) alternatives.
- Social influences from groups of friends, e.g. all cutting out the same food group.
- Personal trainers at the gym recommending specific foods or supplements.
- An increase in the numbers of nutritionists, dieticians and naturalists - not all of whom are trained or qualified.
Editor's Note: The term "dietician" is protected by law. This means only those who have met with certain standards, and are registered with a regulatory body, can use the title. So, if you think someone's unqualified to give you advice, ask for their credentials, if they're sincere they'll be more than happy to oblige.
So, where's the line between a healthy concern about eating well, and an unhealthy obsession with eating perfectly?
My rule of thumb is that healthy eating should make my life better, more energised and happier. If I'm fretting about every last calorie or gram of fat, it's time to relax a bit! Feeling a sense of "smugness" about your own healthy eating is also a warning sign, as is avoiding social situations because you're afraid there'll be nothing healthy to eat.
What do you think? In the West, most of us could do with worrying a little more about what we put into our bodies. Have you seen an increase in orthorexic-like behaviour over the past years, whether in yourself or in friends?
I'm a health journalist over at True/Slant, and I blogged on this a few weeks back.
Here's my concern with the worry over "orthorexia": I think it's very, very difficult to determine when someone is focused on nutrition and healthy eating, and taking care of their bodies, and when there is an actual *psychological* problem. Who knows where that "line" is? And how to define it so that orthorexia can be categorized as a psychiatric ailment?
I think culture has such a warped perception of nutritious eating, diets, etc, and such a fixation on it, that this only perpetuates the problem. I've been accused of being overly concerned with healthy eating before...but that was compared to people eating french fries every day!
ReplyUhm. There's no such eating disorder. It's not in the DSM-IV-TR or the ICD-10.
ReplyAnyone who has orthorexia would be diagnosed with ED-NOS, Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. That's the catchall for anything that does not fit anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, so is where you would find binge eating disorder as well. Also, the DSM-IV is fairly old and is being updated, and may well include it the next time.
ReplyIt has to exist before it can be written in a book.
So, unless you think that those books miraculously sprung into existence and then these disorders started happening to people in order to fulfill the books' diagnostic prophesies, I don't think you've substantially disproven the disorders' existence.
ReplyThat's strange, Google certainly turns up a lot of information on this supposedly non-existent disorder...
ReplyEven if there is a coming legitimate diagnosis, one of the primary criteria as with all psychiatric diagnosis will be impairment of functioning. Merely being a self-righteous tool about food won't meet the criteria.
ReplyImpairment of functioning in what? I know people who avoid social gatherings because they won't have access to their "healthy" food. I'd say that is impairing their social functioning. I could go on.
ReplySo, when I was unable to eat anything at a relative's home or a restaurant because I hadn't prepared it and made sure all the ingredients were "healthy" and was thinking about food constantly to the point of being almost unable to do my schoolwork, I wasn't "impaired"?
When I had no energy to stay awake but still woke up two or three times a night, had hair falling out far beyond what was normal (it's still not as thick as it was before), ceased to menstruate because I had lost so much weight, and had permanent dark circles under my eyes from malnutrition (because I was afraid of eating anything beyond oatmeal and the occasional slice of preferably homemade whole grain bread, organic low fat or fat free yogurt, free range eggs, fruits, and steamed vegetables) yet refused to change my diet due to how "healthy" it was, I wasn't impaired?
If that's true, you have a strange definition of that word.
ReplyNice post. The majority of people don't understand how you should eat, or what you should eat. All these faddish diets don't help anyone. Simple, small meals are good enough in the majority of the case. Increasing your protein intake, and the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat is one easy and simple solution. some simple exercises along with that and you're good to go. Some core exercises, some cardio(I prefer running to burn fat myself), and that will take you very, very far. good luck to everyone!
ReplyI heard about this & I imagine it does effect some people & especially those that tend toward eating disorders. I have not seen it in anyone I know but most of us enjoy food too much!
I have restricted too much in my way past & learned from that mistake!
ReplyI can see the point that it's unhealthy to obsess about every single meal. However I don't see what's wrong with going lower-carb in general and avoiding HFCS and other junk. That just seems smart, not obsessing. Now not eating a slice of cake on your birthday IS obsessing. My birthday is coming up and I know will allow myself to have a little sugar treat.
ReplyI think 90%+ people have a disordered relationship to food. We either eat too much or too little. Only a few of us have figured out the food demon.
ReplyMy husband thinks I have orthorexia because I prefer to eat very healthy foods the majority of the time. I disagree that it's orthorexia because I DO allow myself to have treats that aren't extremely healthy sometimes. I think orthorexia is just a label for a group of people that just really focus on the quality of what they put in their mouths...don't even get me started on the made-up term "flexitarian" or any of the other ones.
ReplyWell I think it does come into play if you never allow yourself a treat. I mean it's New Year's Eve - have some cake!
ReplyThat's kind of like saying anorexia is a term made up to describe people who are just very careful about how much they eat. If you look inside an orthorexic's head, he or she is just as obsessed an anorexic or bulimic, the focus is just slightly different.
Replysend these ppl to live in an Indian slum for a month.. im sure they will get over it fast
ReplyWhile many people could be a bit more concerned about what they're eating, that's not what orthorexia is. I've seen it, it's disturbing and unhealthy. Katie is right.
ReplySounds like orthorexia includes some obsessive/compulsive behaviors to the point that it affects a person's ability to function in a social or work situation? I think the majority of people who watch what they eat or only eat organics or whatever is their thing, would not fall into this description. I think avoiding situations because there may not be 'healthy' food and you don't think you can handle that, that's a problem. If you decide to go anyway and choose not to eat anything there, I wouldn't consider that a problem, especially if you planned for it by eating before you went. I don't think not having cake on your birthday means you have a problem either. Maybe for some people a birthday is just another day!
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