Considered an eating disorder like anorexia, bulimia and binge eating, orthorexia nervosa takes weight loss goals to the extreme with an obsessive healthy diet.
Orthorexia nervosa is like an obsessive healthy diet, acute focus on nutrition and extreme weight loss goals. It shares characteristics with eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia and binge eating.
Health experts tell us that the world is becoming obese and we need to start eating better. People who develop orthorexia, an unofficial eating disorder, take that advice a little too far. Steven Bratman, M.D., has created the term Orthorexia Nervosa, which, literally, means "fixation on righteous eating."
We call them "health junkies" with an obsessive healthy diet because they watch what they eat with precision. But the line gets crossed when this becomes an obsession and food begins to take on the characteristics of either being pure or tarnished.
What can start out as an ambition to achieve better health or extreme weight loss goals, becomes a fixation: pill popping, herbal remedies, no fat, no sugar, supplements, a vegan diet, are not harmful on their own, but if put together with an obsessive attitude, can turn into an eating disorder.
Not only do sufferers feel good about themselves for eating only the healthiest of food, they feel a sense of spiritual cleanliness. Their virtuous beliefs become stronger the more extreme their behaviour becomes.
Sometimes a physical condition like food allergies can begin the journey to this state; the person has to start eliminating certain things from their diet in order to feel well, but ends up eating only 4 or 5 foods in total. Their thoughts begin to focus around this diet and they get the same sense of guilt that people with disordered eating get when they "slip up."
Signs of orthorexia nervosa:
the virtuous feeling of what is eaten becomes more important than the pleasure of the food
the quality of life decreases as the quality of the diet increases
strict rules about meal choices
extensive planning of meals for the day
self-esteem boost for eating healthy, while others who do not are looked down upon
skipping food that is enjoyable to eat the "right" foods
diet is so strict that eating out is difficult
feeling guilty after eating something that isn't on the list of foods you accept
distancing from family, friends and social life because of dietWhether you believe this is a clinical disorder or not, people do still participate in these behaviours to their own detriment.
The copyright of the article Orthorexia Nervosa is an Obsessive Healthy Diet in Eating Disorders is owned by Lori Henry. Permission to republish Orthorexia Nervosa is an Obsessive Healthy Diet in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
This is an interesting article. I know this concept is not recognized by
the DSM-IV, but in my opinion, disordered eating really should lay on a
scale from, say, "no food issues" to "diagnosable eating
disorder." Also, out here in LA, I'd say that half the people I know
have <i>some</i> form of disordered eating. Or at least an
unhealthy relationship with food. Jen M. http://luxuryresorttravel.suite101.com
Jun 12, 2006 6:30 PM
Lori Henry :
I agree wholeheartedly. There is such a long spectrum of disordered
eating. A lot of people I know have such wacky relationships with food but
are not Anorexic, Bulimic or a Compulsive Overeater. They don't fit into a
label, so they don't feel that they have a problem. And even people with
diagnosed eating disorders usually bounce between them at one point of
another. That is why the medical community has changed the lingo from
"eating disorders" to "disordered eating."
I will be posting articels on all of the types of eating disorders that I
know of. I will start from there and then branch out with more extensive
coverage on everything in between. Thanks for reading!
Jun 13, 2006 4:56 PM
Joy Butler :
This is the first I've heard of this particular eating disorder. I'm not
really sure what I believe about these things. Sometimes I have to wonder
if most of the disorders we hear about these days (not only eating
disorders) are not just individual personalities being manifested in
different ways. In other words, where do you draw the line?
Joy http://dogs.suite101.com/
Jun 13, 2006 8:20 PM
Lori Henry :
I know. On one hand, I believe when people who are feeling a particular
way find a "diagnosis" that they can relate to, it can give them
a sense of not being alone and not being crazy. But it's also a genius way
for pharmaceutical companies to make a whole lotta money!
Jun 20, 2006 9:31 PM
sharon moleski :
I believe this is how my eating disorder began. It's sort of like dieting,
but to the extreme, if I'm getting this right. I, too, felt like I wanted
to cleanse my body and, therefore, my soul. From there, it quickly
descended into full blown bulimia. Maybe this is how it starts for a lot
of people. What do you think?
Jun 20, 2006 9:57 PM
Lori Henry :
This is how I began my descent into disordered eating as well. I was
always trying to "cleanse" my body of toxins and things I thought
were making it "dirty." I was so picky about the things I put
into my body and was existing on next to nothing. This didn't last long,
though, as my body rebelled quite quickly, as they do, and I developed
bulimic behaviour. I'm still not certain you can call it an actual
"disorder," but I know that a lot of people think in this
"Orthorexic" way.
Jun 28, 2006 4:32 PM
danielle :
i can really relate to this, its what i do but i make myself sick if i eat
anything thats not on my list of "good" foods. I have been
searching recently to try and find some help and advice as my obsession
with food has started to really get me down and i know i am not really
bulemic but i do have some kind of eating disorder i think,i feel so
terrible about my body and if i eat dinner with friends and they have used
a lot of dairy or white carbs or we have dessert i have such an urge to
make myself sick or a feeling of guilt that my whole mood changes and i can
no longer have a good time. I am either eating total crap and beating
myself up about it or exercising rigid self control and only eating the
good things. I don't really know how to change it, it seems so ingrained
in how i live that i can't really see a way out of it. i love chocolate
and will always tell myself its ok if i just have a bit but even while i
eat it i don't always fully enjoy it because of the guilt. if anyone knows
of any way i can get help please let me know
Jun 28, 2006 6:32 PM
Lori Henry :
Thanks for posting, moonbeam21. Disordered Eating spans such a wide
spectrum of feelings and behaviours and doesn't have to fall into
"Bulimia" or "Anorexia" before being a concern. With
all of the info out there about food being categorized as "good"
or "bad," it helps keep our minds distorted. Food is just food,
we have to remember that. It carries basic nutritional value and we must
make sure that we are getting enough vitamins, etc., but food itself does
not come with a personality, so to speak.
We let it weigh us
down with guilty thoughts because we think we have done something wrong. I
think it's important to begin thinking of food in a different way- instead
of "good" and "bad," how about "things that my
body feels good after eating" and "things that make me feel
shitty after eating." Then the judgment isn't so harsh on yourself.
Perhaps make a list and see what kinds of food fit into which category.
I used to feel the exact same way about chocolate, for example, and
until I began seeing it as the food it was (and not a sin-filled evil
dessert), I began enjoying it and, naturally, wouldn't eat as much because
I was eating it consciously. Does that make any sense?
Oct 27, 2008 7:20 AM
Guest :
Very strong. I feel guilty ver often when I don't eat something that is
healthy or when I do eat something with more fat consumption than 5
grams. Could I become or am I orthorexic? Please send me an email at
katiefromdacountry@gmail.com or katiefromdacountry@myspace.com
Apr 7, 2009 7:35 AM
Guest :
i was searching any other eating disorder other than anorexia nervosa and
bulimia nervosa and had found a link towards orthorexia nervosa in the
concearns of my possibly haveing an eating disorder it sounds close but i
exclude pb&j for the simple fact that it felt too surgery then found
out it was only 350 cals if measured i measure the food i can when i sneak
the rest of the frosting from baking a cake i feel quilty for resisting
temptation and putting so much sugar in my body i excercise 3 hrs daily i
dont eat much supper and have always wanted to be a vegitarian, it just
seeem odd to me that you have to either bige and purge or starve your self
to have an offical ed is there anything in the middle? such as this? but
even this really doesnt concern my eating habits now i have thought about
purging but im inconfident im 5ft even and 90 lbs i know im very thin but i
dont want to be the girl looking at herself thinking and saying "i
look fat" i never want to be that girl i was also diagnosed with ocd
at age 3 for appearance perfection. im still qustioning if i may have an
eating disorder or if my eating habits could lead to an eating disorder.
Aug 3, 2009 9:44 AM
Guest :
I stumbled upon eating "clean" foods, through an aquaintence. I
was 18, fairly healthy, and basically a happy go lucky kind of guy. I did
however, aspire to have a more sleak, lean, and sexually appeally body. I
began eating mostly raw foods. Only friut in the morning, and a ton of
salad. After 2 weeks of this my body "flushed" itself. I'm
serious when I say that I shat about 30 times over a 2-3 day period. As
well as the wieght loss, my body chaged in other ways. I could tan more
easily, and my eyes turned from green to a nice blue. To make a long story
short, I became obsessed with eating "clean" foods. obsession led
to depression. I turned to junk food. I became a junk food junky. Bulimia
consumed my life. It was hell on earth. I am so grateful to have returned
from that state of mind back to relative peace with eating and food. I have
come a long way from where I was, yet the scars are still there. Today I am
working to soften the scar tissue in my mind an body. The emotional scaring
of my life is the most difficult to soften, yet my emotions are formost- I
must remind myself of this regularly. It is so easy, and it happens
unconsciouly, that I aviod the emotoional discomfort and/or pain that can
be a part of life. My name is Michael and I suffer from the human
condition. I would like to thank all that shared there experiences.
Jun 12, 2006
