Orthorexia Nervosa
Posted on 16. Jul, 2010 by Mark in Our Organic Views
Orthroxia nervosa, which literally translates to “fixation on righteous eating,” is an obsession with eating healthy food. Steven Bratman, MD, discovered the eating disorder in1997 as a result of patients constantly seeking to improve their health by eliminating unhealthy foods in their diet, to the extent that it becomes an obsession.
As opposed to anorexia nervosa, which is an eating disorder characterized by an obsession with wanting to be thin, thus worrying about the quantity of food intake, orthorexia focuses on the quality of the food. Bratman describes the condition as an “unhealthy obsession.” Some experts say that orthorexia is a serious psychological condition that can be as dangerous as anorexia. According to Bratman, there is a certain distinction “while an anorexic wants to lose weight, an orthorexic wants to feel pure, healthy and natural.” [1]
Orthorexics usually have very strict rules when it comes to eating, removing certain foods in their diet, e.g., those that contain preservatives, fats, artificial additives, animal products, pesticides, herbicides, and other ingredients they deem to be unhealthy.
According to Palto Alto Medical Foundation, people who suffer from orthorexia nervosa may display the following symptoms: [2]
- Spending more than three hours a day thinking about healthy food
- Planning tomorrow’s menu today
- Feeling virtuous about what they eat, but not enjoying it much
- Continually limiting the number of foods they eat
- Experiencing a reduced quality of life or social isolation (because their diet makes it difficult for them to eat anywhere but at home)
- Feeling critical of others who do not eat as well they do
- Skipping foods they once enjoyed in order to eat the “right” foods
- Feeling guilt or self-loathing when they stray from their diet
- Feeling in “total” control when they eat the correct diet
According to Ursula Philpot, chair of the British Dietetic Association’s mental health group, there is a significant rise in the number of orthorexics compared to a few years ago. The condition usually affects men and women who are over 30 years old, middle-class, and well-educated. “Those most susceptible are middle-class, well-educated people who read about food scares in the papers, research them on the internet, and have the time and money to source what they believe to be purer alternatives,” [3] Philpot said.
The obsession with eating the “right” foods may lead to malnourishment because of dietary restrictions. In addition, it may also put a strain on personal relationships or lead to becoming socially isolated in extreme cases.
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