Orthorexia - do you have it?

bcattoes

Interesting ...

http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442471029

What is Orthorexia?
Orthorexia – an unhealthy fixation on eating only healthy or "pure" foods – was originally defined as a disordered eating behavior in the '90s, but experts believe it has been gaining steam in recent years, fed by the profusion of foods marketed as healthy and organic, and by the media's often conflicting dietary advice. Like anorexia nervosa, orthorexia is a disorder rooted in food restriction. Unlike anorexia, for othorexics, the quality instead of the quantity of food is severely restricted.

"Orthorexia starts out with a true intention of wanting to be healthier, but it's taken to an extreme," says Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Spokesperson Marjorie Nolan, MS, RD, CDN, ACSM-HFS, who specializes in working with eating disorder clients. "If someone is orthorexic, they typically avoid anything processed, like white flour or sugar. A food is virtually untouchable unless it's certified organic or a whole food. Even something like whole-grain bread – which is a very healthy, high-fiber food – is off limits because it's been processed in some way."

Orthorexics typically don't fear being fat in the way that an anorexic would, but the obsessive and progressive nature of the disorder is similar. Orthorexics may eliminate entire groups of food – such as dairy or grains – from their diets, later eliminating another group of food, and another, all in the quest for a "perfect" clean, healthy diet. In severe cases, orthorexia eventually leads to malnourishment when critical nutrients are eliminated from the diet.

Sidesteal

I'm not, but I'm glad you posted this as I tend to use the term often and people should be aware of this disorder.

sobriquet84

wow, very interesting. that would be a terrible disorder to have.

i would like to point out though that undereating is not the only way to become malnurished. you can be of normal weight or overweight or even very over weight and still be malnurished.

bcattoes

I'm not, but I'm glad you posted this as I tend to use the term often and people should be aware of this disorder.

I'd never heard the term before. That link was included in newletter I recieve. It would seem anyone following a Paleo or Primal diet would fit the description. Or perhaps there is more to it than is covered in this article.

Would vegetarians and vegan be considered to have it? And if so, would it matter whether they gave up meat for humanitarian reasons rather than because they thought it unhealthy.

bcattoes

wow, very interesting. that would be a terrible disorder to have.

i would like to point out though that undereating is not the only way to become malnurished. you can be of normal weight or overweight or even very over weight and still be malnurished.

Yes, certainly. You can eat a varied diet that would healthy for others and be malnurished.

taso42

i think i may have been bordering a few months after i first started. but i've reached a good balance.

Loulady

Ha! Definitely no. I have my rules of what I think is best for me, but those are always being bent.

Brandicaloriecountess

There was a time I worried I did, I heard about this on a fat2fit podcast and it was a wake up call.

AlsDonkBoxSquat

I'm not, but I'm glad you posted this as I tend to use the term often and people should be aware of this disorder.

I was going to type something about M&M's and tater tots, but then I saw your new yummy pic and forgot what I had to say . . .

Nessiechickie

I've hear of this before, but I don't have it.
Love my once a month Burger King

waldo56

The key word in there is the progressive nature of it.

Most dieters, paleo, vegan, etc... are not Orthorexic, but some are. Much like how if you begin restricting your food intake and progressively tighten the clamps continuously, you will end up anorexic, eating what you to believe to be healthy then progressively adjusting your intake obsessed with healthy eating perfection will lead to orthorexia.

Moreso than paleo, raw veganism is closely associated with orthorexia, the healthy ideal of raw veganism is not a sustainable diet for humans and will lead to malnourishment. However there are many paleoists who are orthorexic as well, utterly obsessed with the healthfulness of a small subset of foods to the exclusion (and virtual hatred) of all others. However it isn't nearly as physically debilitating as a raw vegan diet because your average pure paleo diet is not as prone to malnourishment, even if the mental side of the orthrexia is the same.

I ti sjust a logical outcome of our society's relationship with food. Over time there has been an increased labeling of foods as good foods and bad foods. Healthy and healthier. We are long past the days of food being meals or dessert, where that which is not dessert is good for you, without any particular item being better or worse for you. Believing in that sort of system nowadays is akin to food athieism, foods are labeled good and bad nowadays, and every different sect has their own definition of good and bad. The logical extreme of this labeling has to exist, people who beleieve a very small subest of food is the healthiest, and all else is bad and inedible, taking the ideals of their particular sect to the extreme.

zasae

I never knew about this but yes I guess I do . As a partly vegetarian I eat mainly fruit and veg and fish and only brown things (brown bread , pasta ... ) and I don't eat any dairy products or junk food . And I like to know where my food came from and I grow my own fruit ect anyway ...

nmclaurin

MTV True Life did an excellent segment on this disease. The first girl was a raw foodist and would only eat organic raw veggies. She ended up going to counseling and gained a few pounds in the process. The second person featured was a male who was also a raw food vegan. He eventually was able to eat some grass fed beef at the end of the show, and hopefully continued to progress.

Both subjects were far too thin. I hope they continued to progress.

peachyxoxoxo

I do not but I was concerned I had it several years ago. Right after I got to my lowest weight ever (by severe caloric restriction, quality of food not a concern) I started learning about nutrition and tried to eat as "clean" and healthy as possible. I wouldn't eat processed cereal, I stopped drinking milk, I would only eat whole grains, wouldn't eat the baked goods my mom made, etc. I don't think my case was as bad as it could have been, but I think it's something that can happen very easily with dieters as they learn more and more about nutrition. Information overload gone bad. It's good to eat those "clean" healthy foods of course, but it's also completely fine to enjoy most other foods in moderate amounts as well.

saraast

MTV True Life did an excellent segment on this disease. The first girl was a raw foodist and would only eat organic raw veggies. She ended up going to counseling and gained a few pounds in the process. The second person featured was a male who was also a raw food vegan. He eventually was able to eat some grass fed beef at the end of the show, and hopefully continued to progress.

Both subjects were far too thin. I hope they continued to progress.

After I saw this episode, I became worried that I was falling on that path. I couldn't go out to eat with my friends, couldn't enjoy wedding cake at my cousin's wedding or another cousin's birthday, and I eat substitutes for certain foods now. But then after reading responses in this post, I'm not completely crazy, just conscious about what goes into my body!

ShallowSkin

Personally, I have the beginning assets of an Orthorexic. Doctors have told me that eating all Raw isn't good, like in TrueLife, but her problem was more emotional than physical. I just think this way to eat is the best for me. I don't like when all vegans are put as Orthorexic because most people who are Ortho tend to not eat meal, dairy, and eggs. :P

waldo56

Personally, I have the beginning assets of an Orthorexic. Doctors have told me that eating all Raw isn't good, like in TrueLife, but her problem was more emotional than physical. I just think this way to eat is the best for me. I don't like when all vegans are put as Orthorexic because most people who are Ortho tend to not eat meal, dairy, and eggs. :P

Orthorexia is a mental disorder. There are a lot of people out there who are orthorexic, completely obsessed with healthy perfection when it comes to food, but they cover all the bases enough that they are physically healthy and only have the mental symptoms and it likely will never be noticed by a doctor.

It is associated with raw vegans moreso than anything else because the raw vegan diet will most likely kill you if you stick to it strict over time. It is not a sustainable diet, you end up severely malnourashed in multiple areas. Humans were flat out not designed ot eat a raw vegan diet. People who are orthorexic raw vegans physicially decline thus it is much easier to diagnose.

AlabasterVerve

Surely it has more to do with your mental state that what your diet actually entails? Take me for example, I would love to not eat industrially processed food and eat a diet full of nutritious, whole foods -- I don't want to eat wood, fake berries or year old fresh orange juice* -- but I compromise everyday for various reasons.

So because there's MSG in my dip, nitrites in my bacon and added sugars in my salad dressing that means I'm not orthorexic? But if I had access to and could afford to eat what I really wanted to then that suddenly means I'm suffering from orthorexia?

*The 6 Most Horrifying Lies The Food Industry is Feeding You
http://www.cracked.com/article_19433_the-6-most-horrifying-lies-food-industry-feeding-you.html

Lina4Lina

Orthorexia is a mental disorder. There are a lot of people out there who are orthorexic, completely obsessed with healthy perfection when it comes to food, but they cover all the bases enough that they are physically healthy and only have the mental symptoms and it likely will never be noticed by a doctor.

It is associated with raw vegans moreso than anything else because the raw vegan diet will most likely kill you if you stick to it strict over time. It is not a sustainable diet, you end up severely malnourashed in multiple areas. Humans were flat out not designed ot eat a raw vegan diet. People who are orthorexic raw vegans physicially decline thus it is much easier to diagnose.

I've encountered raw vegans that I believe do have orthorexia. All the talk about cooked food being a toxin and a total fear of cooked food which includes supplements.

Having said that, there are many long term raw vegans. If done right, they aren't malnourished and can get all the proteins, fats and carbs that are needed along with multitude of vitamins. B12 is the only real iffy one and maybe D. Like anyone, they should get their normal checkups including levels of B12 and D checked regularly. Many of them also aren't 'pure' raw vegans in that they maintain a 80% or more raw status. I'm personally not a fan of raw diets and feel there is no reason to follow one. I'm a big fan of lots or raw/cooked veggies and raw fruit. If someone wants to do it, then go right ahead but that is up to them.

denvervegan

Nope! Nobody does, because it isn't a legitimate, recognized diagnosis.

Acg67

Surely it has more to do with your mental state that what your diet actually entails? Take me for example, I would love to not eat industrially processed food and eat a diet full of nutritious, whole foods -- I don't want to eat wood, fake berries or year old fresh orange juice* -- but I compromise everyday for various reasons.

So because there's MSG in my dip, nitrites in my bacon and added sugars in my salad dressing that means I'm not orthorexic? But if I had access to and could afford to eat what I really wanted to then that suddenly means I'm suffering from orthorexia?

*The 6 Most Horrifying Lies The Food Industry is Feeding You
http://www.cracked.com/article_19433_the-6-most-horrifying-lies-food-industry-feeding-you.html

There's glutamate and nitrates in your broccoli too, time to freak out