Interesting article about Orthorexia and Veganism, Cleansing and eating Clean

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Sarasmaintaining
Sarasmaintaining Posts: 1,027 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Article on Yahoo this morning https://www.yahoo.com/beauty/my-life-with-orthorexia-118873503443.html

"I knew I had a problem, but I didn’t have a name for it. My issue didn’t fall into the traditional categories of anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating. Mine was an obsession with healthy, pure, clean foods from the earth, and a fear of anything that might potentially cause my body harm.

As it turned out, there was a name for it: orthorexia."

Glad she realized that she needed help, hopefully her story will help others who are in similar situations.

Thoughts?

Replies

  • extacymoon
    extacymoon Posts: 141 Member
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    Great article. Thanks for posting.
  • love2lift_85
    love2lift_85 Posts: 356 Member
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    Cool read
  • crazyjerseygirl
    crazyjerseygirl Posts: 1,252 Member
    edited May 2015
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    Like many addictions these things affect some people and not others. I think that's what makes it so difficult. I was a vegetarian for 17 years and never felt this pull towards purity, but I did admire those who did, and maybe that's part of the problem.

    American society seems so obsessed with extremes. You're skinny or fat, you're beautiful or ugly, you're a genius or have a learning disorder. This false dichotomy hurts everyone. It will hurt the fat because "why try, I'll never be a size 2". It hurts the skinny because "I can't be seen wearing a size 6!" It hurts the healthy middle ground "I'm a size 10, I must be so fat".

    The only way to really and truly kill these disorders is to stop the polarizing talk, concentrate on reality, and try really hard to see the grey area as a good place to be, not just "settling"

    I've tried to make good on this by not condoning or admiring extremes. The person who eats nothing but lettuce is not a better eater than me. The person with 19 kids who home schools is not a better mom than me. The size 00 model is not a better woman than me. The genius with a 180 IQ is not a better person than me.

    We all got felt a different deck. It's what you do with the cards given that counts.

    /ranty-rant
  • rjmudlax13
    rjmudlax13 Posts: 909 Member
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    As a recovering orthorexic, I can relate. I remember having fear about eating "toxins" or "unclean" food. Also, I would feel guilty about eating a fast food burger or drinking a Coke. I can definitely see it as being a real eating disorder. There is nothing wrong with wanting to eat whole nutrient dense food. However, it becomes a problem when it affects your mental health.

    Also, I believe calorie counting can become an eating disorder as well. Also, the MFP sacred mantra of IIFYM can be as well. No, I am not knocking these methods. I am just saying that if you take anything to the extreme it can become a real problem. I guess the key is if you are experience constant anxiety about meeting a macro or calorie goal or feeling extreme guilt about having a "bad day" there may be a problem.

    I've learned over the last few years that being flexible is key for me. I try to eat whole nutrient dense food most of the time, but I let myself enjoy a nice juicy burger or have a small bag of Doritos. I may go a whole day of eating "junk" but I don't feel guilty or have a fear I'm going to gain 10 lbs in one day.
  • rjmudlax13
    rjmudlax13 Posts: 909 Member
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    crazyjerseygirl wrote: »
    Like many addictions these things affect some people and not others. I think that's what makes it so difficult. I was a vegetarian for 17 years and never felt this pull towards purity, but I did admire those who did, and maybe that's part of the problem.

    American society seems so obsessed with extremes. You're skinny or fat, you're beautiful or ugly, you're a genius or have a learning disorder. This false dichotomy hurts everyone. It will hurt the fat because "why try, I'll never be a size 2". It hurts the skinny because "I can't be seen wearing a size 6!" It hurts the healthy middle ground "I'm a size 10, I must be so fat".

    The only way to really and truly kill these disorders is to stop the polarizing talk, concentrate on reality, and try really hard to see the grey area as a good place to be, not just "settling"

    I've tried to make good on this by not condoning or admiring extremes. The person who eats nothing but lettuce is not a better eater than me. The person with 19 kids who home schools is not a better mom than me. The size 00 model is not a better woman than me. The genius with a 180 IQ is not a better person than me.

    We all got felt a different deck. It's what you do with the cards given that counts.

    /ranty-rant

    Great points.
  • Sarasmaintaining
    Sarasmaintaining Posts: 1,027 Member
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    rjmudlax13 wrote: »
    As a recovering orthorexic, I can relate. I remember having fear about eating "toxins" or "unclean" food. Also, I would feel guilty about eating a fast food burger or drinking a Coke. I can definitely see it as being a real eating disorder. There is nothing wrong with wanting to eat whole nutrient dense food. However, it becomes a problem when it affects your mental health.

    Also, I believe calorie counting can become an eating disorder as well. Also, the MFP sacred mantra of IIFYM can be as well. No, I am not knocking these methods. I am just saying that if you take anything to the extreme it can become a real problem. I guess the key is if you are experience constant anxiety about meeting a macro or calorie goal or feeling extreme guilt about having a "bad day" there may be a problem.

    I've learned over the last few years that being flexible is key for me. I try to eat whole nutrient dense food most of the time, but I let myself enjoy a nice juicy burger or have a small bag of Doritos. I may go a whole day of eating "junk" but I don't feel guilty or have a fear I'm going to gain 10 lbs in one day.

    Great post, thanks for sharing!
  • Cryptonomnomicon
    Cryptonomnomicon Posts: 848 Member
    edited May 2015
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    Interesting article but I don't think living a vegan lifestyle will necessarily lead to Orthorexia. I think her story is atypical as opposed to representative of those that choose a plant based diet. I myself have been vegan for quite a few years and have known vegans for decades. Her behavior is not typical in my experience.

    To me it would be similar to those that choose to diet...inevitably a small percentage become obsessed displaying similar behavior-withdrawing from social gatherings for fear of not having perfect macros, calorie intake, refusing to eat anything that hasn't been weighed, restricting food groups, fasting etc Also the weight-loss industry is full of cleanses, detoxes, Colon cleansing, etc directed towards anyone who will resort to such behavior not matter what their dietary preference is.

    You could argue that any form of dieting could lead to unhealthy obsession if taken too far.

    Yes I am glad she is in recovery or recovered.

    But to connect Orthorexia directly to Veganism is too broad a blanket statement. IMO.
  • Sarasmaintaining
    Sarasmaintaining Posts: 1,027 Member
    edited May 2015
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    Cryptonomnomicon wrote: »
    Interesting article but I don't think living a vegan lifestyle will necessarily lead to Orthorexia. I think her story is atypical as opposed to representative of those that choose a plant based diet. I myself have been vegan for quite a few years and have known vegans for decades. Her behavior is not typical in my experience.

    To me it would be similar to those that choose to diet...inevitably a small percentage become obsessed displaying similar behavior-withdrawing from social gatherings for fear of not having perfect macros, calorie intake, refusing to eat anything that hasn't been weighed, restricting food groups, fasting etc Also the weight-loss industry is full of cleanses, detoxes, Colon cleansing, etc directed towards anyone who will resort to such behavior not matter what their dietary preference is.

    You could argue that any form of dieting could lead to unhealthy obsession if taken too far.

    Yes I am glad she is in recovery or recovered.

    But to connect Orthorexia directly to Veganism is too broad a blanket statement. IMO.

    I actually didn't connect her being a Vegan to the eating disorder, but more her mentality of having to eat 'clean' and along with that, feeling like she had to start doing cleanses in order to be healthy. The whole cleanse thing really stood out to me, because it's so popular right now/being pushed by media types like Oz.

    I agree with you-I'd never equate becoming a Vegan as a starting point of an eating disorder, anymore than any other type of woe could be the starting point.
  • Cryptonomnomicon
    Cryptonomnomicon Posts: 848 Member
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    Sarasmaintaining wrote: »
    Cryptonomnomicon wrote: »
    Interesting article but I don't think living a vegan lifestyle will necessarily lead to Orthorexia. I think her story is atypical as opposed to representative of those that choose a plant based diet. I myself have been vegan for quite a few years and have known vegans for decades. Her behavior is not typical in my experience.

    To me it would be similar to those that choose to diet...inevitably a small percentage become obsessed displaying similar behavior-withdrawing from social gatherings for fear of not having perfect macros, calorie intake, refusing to eat anything that hasn't been weighed, restricting food groups, fasting etc Also the weight-loss industry is full of cleanses, detoxes, Colon cleansing, etc directed towards anyone who will resort to such behavior not matter what their dietary preference is.

    You could argue that any form of dieting could lead to unhealthy obsession if taken too far.

    Yes I am glad she is in recovery or recovered.

    But to connect Orthorexia directly to Veganism is too broad a blanket statement. IMO.

    I actually didn't connect her being a Vegan to the eating disorder, but more her mentality of having to eat 'clean' and along with that, feeling like she had to start doing cleanses in order to be healthy. The whole cleanse thing really stood out to me, because it's so popular right now/being pushed by media types like Oz.

    I agree with you-I'd never equate becoming a Vegan as a starting point of an eating disorder, anymore than any other type of woe could be the starting point.

    No problems! It was just how the title of the thread came across in my head. No harm no foul.

    It is a good thing to educate others about the dangers of EDs.

    Carry on.

  • Cryptonomnomicon
    Cryptonomnomicon Posts: 848 Member
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    Just wanted to put these links here concerning detoxes and cleanses...

    Some insight into "Detoxes and Cleanses"...

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/821828

    Thread by EvgeniZyntx laying out in a totally sexy geek fashion why cleanses/detoxes cannot work and why that really is a good thing: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/927327/cleanse-why-you-are-lucky-they-don-t-work

    Some additional reading:

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/detox-diets/AN01334

    http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/01/mayo-doctor-is-no-fan-of-cleanses/

    http://www.jfponline.com/pdf/6008/6008JFP_Article1.pdf

    http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/detox_overview.html

    http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/detox.html

    http://www.livescience.com/947-colon-cleansing-money-toilet.html

    http://www.skepdic.com/detox.html

    http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4083
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,573 Member
    Options
    crazyjerseygirl wrote: »
    Like many addictions these things affect some people and not others. I think that's what makes it so difficult. I was a vegetarian for 17 years and never felt this pull towards purity, but I did admire those who did, and maybe that's part of the problem.

    American society seems so obsessed with extremes. You're skinny or fat, you're beautiful or ugly, you're a genius or have a learning disorder. This false dichotomy hurts everyone. It will hurt the fat because "why try, I'll never be a size 2". It hurts the skinny because "I can't be seen wearing a size 6!" It hurts the healthy middle ground "I'm a size 10, I must be so fat".

    The only way to really and truly kill these disorders is to stop the polarizing talk, concentrate on reality, and try really hard to see the grey area as a good place to be, not just "settling"

    I've tried to make good on this by not condoning or admiring extremes. The person who eats nothing but lettuce is not a better eater than me. The person with 19 kids who home schools is not a better mom than me. The size 00 model is not a better woman than me. The genius with a 180 IQ is not a better person than me.

    We all got felt a different deck. It's what you do with the cards given that counts.

    /ranty-rant

    Excellent post.
  • Sarasmaintaining
    Sarasmaintaining Posts: 1,027 Member
    Options
    Cryptonomnomicon wrote: »
    Sarasmaintaining wrote: »
    Cryptonomnomicon wrote: »
    Interesting article but I don't think living a vegan lifestyle will necessarily lead to Orthorexia. I think her story is atypical as opposed to representative of those that choose a plant based diet. I myself have been vegan for quite a few years and have known vegans for decades. Her behavior is not typical in my experience.

    To me it would be similar to those that choose to diet...inevitably a small percentage become obsessed displaying similar behavior-withdrawing from social gatherings for fear of not having perfect macros, calorie intake, refusing to eat anything that hasn't been weighed, restricting food groups, fasting etc Also the weight-loss industry is full of cleanses, detoxes, Colon cleansing, etc directed towards anyone who will resort to such behavior not matter what their dietary preference is.

    You could argue that any form of dieting could lead to unhealthy obsession if taken too far.

    Yes I am glad she is in recovery or recovered.

    But to connect Orthorexia directly to Veganism is too broad a blanket statement. IMO.

    I actually didn't connect her being a Vegan to the eating disorder, but more her mentality of having to eat 'clean' and along with that, feeling like she had to start doing cleanses in order to be healthy. The whole cleanse thing really stood out to me, because it's so popular right now/being pushed by media types like Oz.

    I agree with you-I'd never equate becoming a Vegan as a starting point of an eating disorder, anymore than any other type of woe could be the starting point.

    No problems! It was just how the title of the thread came across in my head. No harm no foul.

    It is a good thing to educate others about the dangers of EDs.

    Carry on.

    Oh, my bad-I shouldn't have phrased the title like I did (I can't edit it, darn it). I included Vegan in the title because that's the woe she started out with, but yeah-the title is misleading for what the article is about I think. Sorry about that!
  • Sarasmaintaining
    Sarasmaintaining Posts: 1,027 Member
    Options
    Cryptonomnomicon wrote: »
    Just wanted to put these links here concerning detoxes and cleanses...

    Some insight into "Detoxes and Cleanses"...

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/821828

    Thread by EvgeniZyntx laying out in a totally sexy geek fashion why cleanses/detoxes cannot work and why that really is a good thing: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/927327/cleanse-why-you-are-lucky-they-don-t-work

    Some additional reading:

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/detox-diets/AN01334

    http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/01/mayo-doctor-is-no-fan-of-cleanses/

    http://www.jfponline.com/pdf/6008/6008JFP_Article1.pdf

    http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/detox_overview.html

    http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/detox.html

    http://www.livescience.com/947-colon-cleansing-money-toilet.html

    http://www.skepdic.com/detox.html

    http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4083

    Thanks!

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