Many of us reform our wellness routines in order to squint and finger largest — but it’s possible to take these efforts too far. For some, this can midpoint focusing on nutrition to the extent that it becomes harmful, a miracle some experts suggest should wilt an officially recognized eating disorder: orthorexia nervosa.
There are a number of causes and warning signs associated with orthorexia which are explored below, but if you think you may have a problem with matted eating, it’s imperative to contact a medical or psychological professional for an evaluation.
What Is Orthorexia?
Orthorexia is an unhealthy obsession with eating pure or wipe foods… to the point where it negatively impacts an individual’s physical and mental wellbeing,” says Angela Ficken, LICSW, a Boston-based therapist.
“Unlike other eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia, orthorexia is primarily focused on the quality of supplies consumed rather than the quantity.”
Officially named in the late 1990s, it’s a condition that’s on the rise.
Orthorexia is something I see fairly regularly in my practice, and I didn’t see it at all 10 years ago,” says Candice Seti, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and certified personal trainer in San Diego.
Why Is Orthorexia on the Rise?
So what’s overdue the surge in obsessive eating? Perhaps unsurprisingly, social media has a lot to wordplay for.
“The obesity epidemic has forced a focus on healthy lifestyles, and social media like Instagram inundates people with pictures of healthy eating, people with six-pack abs, and all sorts of memes telling people pain is gain,” Seti says.
“It sets people up to develop orthorexia. Whenever there is focus on anything, there will be the opportunity to take it too far.”
Although orthorexia nervosa is widely recognized, it’s not an officially diagnosable eating disorder. (Seti expects it will be soon.) Because of this, there are no official diagnostic criteria for orthorexia — however the condition does have several worldwide traits.
If you suspect you or someone you know has orthorexic tendencies, it’s a good idea to trammels in with a medical professional.
Causes of Orthorexia
So what might rationalization someone to navigate the line from healthy eating into orthorexia? Both internal and external factors can come into play. Some of those internal factors can include:
- Perfectionism. “Individuals with a tendency toward perfectionism might be drawn to strict dietary rules to proceeds a sense of tenancy and accomplishment,” says Marissa Moore, MA, LPC, a Missouri-based licensed professional counselor.
- Anxiety. “The desire to maintain optimal health can escalate into uneasiness well-nigh consuming anything perceived as unhealthy,” Moore adds.
- A need for identity. “People might prefer lattermost diets to finger a sense of belonging within a unrepealable health-conscious community,” Moore says.
People with a tendency toward obsessive thinking and behaviors moreover might fixate on the purity of their diet.
“Orthorexia has many features that parallel the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD),” Seti says. “People are just consumed with thoughts of food, exercise, and planning.”
External factors can moreover motivate orthorexia. They can include:
- Media and social influences. “The glorification of wipe eating and wellness trends on social media platforms can contribute to developing orthorexic tendencies,” Moore says.
- Cultural pressures. “Societal accent on thinness and health can lead individuals to pursue unrealistic dietary goals,” she says.
- Misinformation. You don’t have to be a credentialed nutrition expert to manipulate translating on social media. A lot of what goes viral isn’t supported by science and can plane be dangerous.
Warning Signs of Orthorexia
According to Staci Gulbin, MS, MEd, RDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Denver, the warning signs of orthorexia can include:
- Looking obsessively at nutrition labels surpassing eating
- Labeling foods as “good” or “bad”
- Increasingly wearing unrepealable foods or unshortened supplies groups out of your nutrition or viewing unrepealable foods with fear
- Avoiding social situations involving food
- Becoming obsessed with what others are eating
- Not eating if “safe” foods aren’t available
- Spending increasingly time online researching diets and “clean” eating, or on influencer sites that demonize foods (they may use language like “sugar is toxic” and “seed oils are poison”)
- Increasingly talking well-nigh eating habits in conversations with others
Of course, many of us do these things sometimes. It doesn’t midpoint you “have” orthorexia — which, remember, isn’t yet an official clinical diagnosis.
What Does an Orthorexic Nutrition Squint Like?
“An orthorexic nutrition may cut out multiple supplies groups, be very limited to “safe” foods, and be very restricting,” Gulbin says. “Often orthorexic diets cut out anything that contains sugar, anything packaged, or anything eaten out in restaurants whispered from ‘whole’ foods.”
The condition can squint variegated from person to person. “Sometimes it can start with wearing out sugars, then slowly wearing out desserts, and then wearing out breads, pastas, and other starch carbohydrates altogether,” says Suren Chiu, RDN, LDN, CPT, a registered dietitian nutritionist and certified personal trainer in Chicago.
“For others, it can be limiting fats to a unrepealable value on the label, significantly limiting what the person can eat. It’s not uncommon for this to be paired with exercising, in a way that can moreover be obsessive.”
Risks of Orthorexia
Orthorexia is variegated from prioritizing good nutrition. “This lifestyle can deprive the orthorexic person of essential nutrients needed for optimal health,” Gulbin says.
Cutting out a large variety of foods can lead to a number of consequences, equal to Gulbin:
- Heightened risk for nutrient deficiencies and malnutrition
- Strained personal relationships
- Mental and emotional health issues
- Diminished overall quality of life
Not to mention the undersong imposed by orthorexic eating. “Counting every calorie and macro and reading every nutrition and ingredient label can wilt exhausting and debilitating,” Gulbin says.
What to Do Well-nigh Orthorexia
If you or someone you know is exhibiting orthorexic traits, consult your healthcare provider or a mental-health professional.
“I unchangingly encourage people to seek professional help sooner rather than later,” Seti says.
Treatment of orthorexia primarily focuses on breaking the all-or-nothing mentality, while towers self-esteem and facing fears.
“Catching it and intervening early is definitely the most constructive route surpassing any of these new, unhealthy behaviors get rooted. If you find yourself obsessing well-nigh supplies to the point where your life or your social relationships are impaired, you should seek help,” Seti advises.
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