The dangers of orthorexia

It’s possible to become too perfectionistic about your eating. Eating only unprocessed foods, or only organic. Eliminating all carbs or fruit.

Your intentions might be good — perhaps you want to lose weight, lower your blood glucose levels and eat in a more healthy way. You may be trying to fend off what runs in your family: diabetes or high cholesterol or obesity.

When “healthy” eating becomes unhealthy

But even a health kick can go too far. You can become obsessed with eating or not eating certain foods, leading you to constantly check nutrition labels and belabor food decisions. You can create rigid rules that you’re likely to break when you’re at a restaurant or on vacation, where the food options aren’t exactly what they were at home. Your “healthy” pattern of eating can become an obsession.

The stress and preoccupation of being what you consider a healthy eater could be a sign of an eating disorder called orthorexia. In Greek, “ortho” means “correct” and “orexi” means appetite. Orthorexia is an obsession with eating in a proper or healthy way.

Being aware of the nutritional quality of what you eat may not be a problem. But if you have orthorexia, you become so fixated on your so-called “healthy eating” that it interferes with other aspects of your life.

Symptoms of orthorexia

• Obsessive concern about the link between what you eat and your health
• Compulsive checking of nutritional labels and ingredient lists
• Cutting out entire food groups such as carbs or dairy
• Only eating certain food you consider "clean" or "healthy"
• Severely restricting certain types of food
• Avoiding foods due to food allergies that haven’t actually been medically diagnosed
• Significant increase in taking probiotics, herbal remedies and other supplements that you expect to provide health benefits
• Irrational concern about how food is prepared, such as food-washing techniques and sterilization

Emotional characteristics of orthorexia

• Feeling guilty when eating foods not considered healthy/pure
• Thinking about food more often than not
• Planning meals well in advance and feeling guilty if plans aren’t followed
• Avoiding foods prepared by others
• Fearing eating away from home
• Experiencing depression, mood swings or anxiety

When was orthorexia discovered?

Orthorexia isn’t a new disorder. The term was coined by physician Steven Bratman, MD, in 1996.

Unlike anorexia, bulimia or binge eating, orthorexia isn’t an official diagnosis. Still, orthorexia is recognized by many dietitians and specialists in eating disorders as an eating disorder that requires treatment.

Orthorexia and anorexia

Orthorexia and anorexia have some similarities. Both involve restricting the amount and variety of foods you eat. This can lead you to take in fewer calories, and sometimes your body breaks down muscle. That can be hard on the cardiovascular system and blood pressure, and your heart rate can drop.

You might feel stomach pain, bloating, constipation, loss of hunger cues and an increase in sense of fullness after eating just a small amount of food. You may also have dry skin, brittle nails, anemia and weakness.

How is orthorexia different from healthy eating?

The difference between orthorexia and simply trying to eat mostly nutritious food is how much you fixate on your eating and how much distress or guilt it causes you. Orthorexia may cause you to avoid get-togethers that involve eating if you’re concerned about limited food options.

Sometimes people who have orthorexia develop rigid rules and classify some foods as “good” and others as “bad.” Instead, it’s healthier to consider some foods as being more nutritious than others, depending on individual nutrition needs.

Who does orthorexia affect?

People who have these risk factors typically are more vulnerable to experiencing orthorexia:

• anxiety
• obsessive compulsive disorder
• perfectionism
• easily influenced by social media
• immediate family members who have or had eating disorders

Orthorexia, a hidden illness

Orthorexia often is overlooked, and sometimes other people around you can unintentionally reinforce it. They might commend you for eating only unprocessed or “clean” foods, for example. They see that you lost weight and don’t realize the habit has become an obsession for you.

Some people have orthorexia and don’t realize it. They might think it’s a good thing to aim high with their food choices. It can be beneficial, but you don’t have to eliminate all sugar or all processed foods or all carbs to be healthy.

How to recover from orthorexia

It’s possible to heal from orthorexia. Seeing a dietitian, a primary care provider and sometimes a counselor can help you end the obsession and develop a healthy relationship again with food.