Orthorexia: When Healthy Eating Becomes Unhealthy
Orthorexia is defined as the obsession with eating healthy food. It stems from the Greek word “ortho,” which means correct. People who struggle with orthorexia are usually hyper-fixated on the quality of the food they are ingesting as opposed to the quantity. This obsession can be incredibly detrimental to one’s health, both mentally and physically, similar to the more well-known eating disorders, such as bulimia nervosa or anorexia nervosa.
Orthorexia is less well-known but is increasing in prevalence as social media has geared the world towards a more health-conscious society. It is not yet an official eating disorder diagnosis, but it is recognized by many providers in the field.
What Are the Symptoms of Orthorexia?
There are many signs and symptoms of this disorder that may at first come off to the outside eye as healthy eating but reach a point where it becomes unhealthy. Those with orthorexia feel intense worry about the quality of food and refuse to eat outside their normal range of comfort foods. Most of the time, they avoid eating out as they overthink eating foods prepared by an outside source. They also tend to place high amounts of judgment on friends’ or family’s food choices, but in turn, they struggle with the rationale of their own choices.
Orthorexia and Interference with Daily Life
Orthorexia can develop when people are unable to disconnect their disordered thoughts from their everyday life activities. It becomes all-consuming as every move made throughout their day is reliant on what foods they eat or what situations they will be in. It becomes a very isolating way to live as social gatherings are often turned down due to the fear that they will lose control over their dietary rules.
Feeling Guilt
Feelings of guilt are also very common in people who struggle with orthorexia, as most strive to eat the purest and cleanest of diets. This comes with a lot of pressure to comply with these standards, and it often leads to feelings of guilt and shame when they don’t meet them. Usually, following what these individuals feel is a “failed” meal, intense body checking or avoidance occurs as a form of reassurance or hatred towards their “mistake.” These maladaptive behaviors are coping mechanisms when they struggle to meet what they consider their needs. They also tend to participate in compensatory behaviors, such as over-exercising, to “make up” for what they have consumed.
Orthorexia’s Impact On Physical and Mental Health
Physical health is something that those with orthorexia often fixate on as they often hold themselves to healthy living and healthy eating standards. Those who have orthorexia are highly focused on food quality, and because of their strict rules, they often undereat, which leads to malnutrition.
They often participate in high levels of physical exercise that their bodies cannot keep up with, which can cause long-term damage to their physical and mental health. Mentally, orthorexia and its associated behaviors become all-consuming and life-hindering, causing high levels of anxiety around normal tasks. Oftentimes, those with orthorexia miss out on social opportunities. In turn, their physical health will be at risk. Orthorexia clients have a greater occurrence of osteoporosis and weakened immune function. Furthermore, individuals with orthorexia may become fixated on consuming only raw foods, which can increase the risk of foodborne illnesses. This way of life can start as harmless, but when “healthy” living is taken too far, they are worse off.
BALANCE eating disorder treatment center™, located in New York City, offers free consultation calls to help you explore next steps. We provide in-person programming seven days a week and are in-network with UnitedHealthcare (UHC), Cigna, Emblem, and Oscar, with Aetna coverage coming soon. Support is available, and recovery is possible. Schedule a free consultation call with our admissions team here and stay connected with BALANCE on Instagram here.
This post was written by Dietetic Intern Miranda Trapani (she/her).
Miranda Trapani is a dietetic intern at BALANCE from Westchester, NY,
beginning her second year of her master’s degree in nutrition and dietetics at Pace University. After completing the program, she hopes to become a registered dietitian, specifically working in the eating disorder field.
Outside of school, Miranda plays in an adult kickball and dodgeball league. She loves spending time with her family and friends, going on adventures and traveling. Miranda is thrilled to be doing her internship at BALANANCE and learn as much as possible from this opportunity.
