Orthorexia – The mania for ”Healthy eating”

Orthorexia – What is the condition and what dangers it hides
 In the modern way of life, with wide access to information, often confusing and contradictory, and with imposed criteria for appearance, it is not surprising that eating disorders appear. There is a condition characterized by a mania for “healthy” and “proper” eating, but it is debatable whether it is an eating disorder or a lifestyle-related behavior.

 

What will you learn

• What is orthorexia – a history of the origin of the definition of the condition;
• Why orthorexia occurs and what makes people cross the border;
• What are the symptoms of orthorexia;
• Is the idea of ​​healthy eating orthorexia? Health risks;
• What is the treatment for orthorexia; Do social networks push for orthorexia?

Who is this article for?

This material is for informational purposes only and should not be used for self-diagnosis or self-medication. It is suitable for people who strive to eat healthily and raises an important issue – turning “healthy eating” into a mania that leads to negative consequences and, in fact, ironically, becomes unhealthy.

What is orthorexia

It is no secret that there is an increased interest in various currents in nutrition, often imposed as a fashion in society – such as the consumption of super foods, the pursuit of healthy eating and the exclusion of entire food groups not for medical reasons it is good for health or will lead to a specific appearance. In 1996, Dr. Stephen Bratman, a practitioner of alternative medicine, coined the term “orthorexia neurosis” to describe an eating behavior characterized by an almost pathological focus and obsession with healthy eating. It comes from the Greek words “orthos” – faithful, correct and “orexis” – nutrition.

Later, in 2004, criteria were proposed to determine orthorexia. Most recently, in 2015, following a published study (2), the first proposal was made to officially accept orthorexia as a diagnosis, but to date the condition has not yet been accepted as such. In 2016, Bratman and his colleague Tom Dunn revised the criteria for determining orthorexia and refined them.

Orthorexia is an obsessive focus on “healthy” eating and avoiding “unhealthy” foods, mental strain on dieting, and adhering to very strict dietary rules that lead to high emotional stress.

The choice of food is made on the basis of quantity or the thought of how to lead to weight loss, but in all cases the main goal is the quality that leads to health benefits.

Although there is debate about whether orthorexia is an eating disorder or just a new lifestyle phenomenon, some of the typical symptoms of the condition correspond to those of the disorders, such as physical (nutrient deficiency, excessive weight loss), psychological (emotional instability) and social (isolation from society).

Some people believe that this is a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder, based on the fact that “milder” cases of orthorexic behavior are not dangerous to life and health, but are more characteristic of their obsessive nature (creating norms and rules, compliance with which takes up all the attention and time). Others find that orthorexia is no different from the already defined eating disorder – anorexia.

Why do some people cross the line?

Modern society constantly sets norms for us – it tells us what is beautiful, how to look, how thin we are, what is healthy to eat. How, then, can focusing on healthy eating harm us?

Orthorexia often begins as an innocent, sincere desire for a healthy lifestyle.

One stops eating red meat because one has read that it leads to cancer, later excluding meat altogether. After a while, he also excluded saturated fats because he was told that they lead to heart problems. Carbohydrates are also crossed out – they are full. One is deceived by malicious information, looks at things piece by piece, forgets that it is important what is done in a complex way. Everyday life overlaps with eating the “right” food. Every “transgression” is followed by observance of stricter rules, starvation, exhausting exercises.

In the end, the choice of food is so narrow in terms of calories, but also the type of food that health suffers. An ironic twist for a man so desperately committed to protecting his health. Not only the pursuit of a healthy life explains orthorexia. Often this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Orthorexia can reveal other psychological problems:

• fear of disease;
• need to control everything in life;
• attempt to escape from obsessive fears;
• a means of improving self-confidence;
• using food to build identity.

According to Dr. Bratman, among people who believe in natural medicine, the aim is usually to avoid the use of drugs because of their side effects. Instead, attention is paid to what one eats. But most people fail to point out the fact that obsession with what you eat also has many side effects – mainly the obsession itself.

How does orthorexia manifest itself?

Dr. Bratman has created the so-called stand-alone test for orthorexia. It consists of a few simple questions. If a person is enthusiastic about healthy eating and answers “Yes” to one or more of the questions, then he may be inclined to develop this obsession.

However, let us clarify that these questions are only indicative, these are not diagnostic criteria.

1. I spend so much time in my life choosing and preparing healthy food, thinking about it, that it interferes with other areas of my life – personal life, creativity, family, friends, work and school.
2. When I eat any food that I consider unhealthy, I feel anxious, guilty, unclean, or defiled, even if I am close to such foods, it worries me and I tend to judge others who eat them.
3. My personal sense of calm, joy, security and self-esteem is too dependent on the purity of the food I eat and whether it is right.

4. Sometimes I would like to relax my rules for “good food” when there is a special occasion, such as a wedding or dinner with family and friends, but I find that I can’t. (Note: if you have a medical condition in which it is not safe to make any dietary exceptions, then this point does not apply to you).

5. Over time, I constantly removed more foods from my list and expanded my dietary rules in an attempt to maintain or increase health benefits. Sometimes I can accept an existing food theory and add it to my own beliefs.

6. Following my understanding of healthy eating has led me to lose more weight than most people would say is good for me or cause me other signs of malnutrition, such as hair loss, menstrual cessation and / or skin problems.

Healthy eating against orthorexia

No matter how stretchy and relative the concept of “healthy eating” and no matter how much we try to avoid it, because healthy for one may not be healthy for another, in the context of this topic it is good to make a note that and Dr. Bratman himself wants to be mentioned because of the misinterpretations of the state of orthorexia.

Accepting a theory about healthy eating is not orthorexia.

A theory may or may not be conventional, extreme or more reasonable, but regardless of the details, proponents of this theory are not necessarily orthorexic. The term “orthorexia” only applies when an eating disorder develops around this theory. Enthusiasm for healthy eating does not turn into orthorexia until the turning point is crossed, when it grows into a mania.

What are the health risks?

Like anorexia, orthorexia is often associated with significant weight loss, but the so-called Orthorexics focus not on the quantity, but rather on the quality of the food they eat – they strive for a kind of “purity” of their eating behavior, and not so much for physical weight loss. The right foods that can be safely taken become important. The sufferer of orthorexia will use all his time and energy to think about the health benefits of the right foods – how to process and cook food.

At one point, this leads to a sharp reduction in the variety of foods, reaching 5-6 foods that are actually consumed. Although orthorexia does not carry the same health risks as anorexia or bulimia, doctors warn that the disease can easily progress to anorexia due to systemic starvation. The restrictive nature of nutrition in orthorexia leads to malnutrition and starvation, which carry with them the risk of later overeating and guilt, and bulimia is not delayed. Orthorexia and obsessive thinking about healthy food can lead to social isolation, psychological disorders, health risks.

What is the treatment for orthorexia?

Like any disease with psychological roots, it is much easier to treat its effects on the body than on the soul. The orthorexic must first acknowledge that the problem exists, and then determine what exactly is causing the obsession. In addition, these people need to learn to be more flexible and less dogmatic about their food. There are usually other emotional problems behind excessive attention to healthy eating.

Solving them seriously facilitates the transition to normal nutrition and overall recovery. It is best to consider consulting specialists with experience with such conditions and eating disorders.

Interesting: social networks and orthorexia

An interesting study  concerns the link between the use of social networks and the increased risk of worsening the symptoms of orthorexia. Specifically, Instagram is considered, but a summary can be made of the fact that the use of social networks is increasing among adolescents and increasingly has a negative impact on perceptions of appearance, leading to depression, comparison with others and eating disorders. Overall, the movement to share information and encourage people to eat healthily is positive, but there are growing concerns about incitement to negative behavior and eating disorders.

The online survey involved 680 individuals who followed healthy eating profiles and looked at the behavior of these individuals toward nutrition. The results are that higher use of Instagram is also associated with a greater tendency towards orthorexia, as other social media do not have the same effect. The hashtag #food ranks among the top 25 most used on Instagram, and food photos are among the 8 most popular categories, along with “selfies”, friends, activities, fashion, pets and more.

This shows something that is being talked about more and more – the influence of social networks and in particular of celebrities, which can influence the behavior of hundreds of people. For example, an analysis of the #fitspiration tag on Instagram is that it aims to inspire people to be fit, fit and strive for a healthy lifestyle, but often hashtag-related photos are of thin women, which in turn leads to risk of low self-esteem in some users, as well as a negative perception of one’s own image / body.

What should I take with me from this article?

research in the field of orthorexia will continue, as well as examining the link between social media and eating disorders. Whether the condition will be classified as a diagnosis or not, one thing is clear – obsession even with healthy eating can be harmful. Comparing with others and following unconfirmed and malicious practices affects not only psychological but also physical health.

It is good to be informed and reasonable about our habits, not to go to extremes and if we feel that we are prone to manic behavior, to take action or seek specialized help.

Eating should not be torture and caring for food should not be a reason for isolation from society.

It is wonderful to pay attention to the quality of the products you cook with and to strive to support your health, but this should not become the only goal that interferes in one way or another with normal existence.

 

 

Sources used :

1. Orthorexia nervosa: A behavioral complex or a psychological condition? 
2. Microthinking about micronutrients: a case of transition from obsessions about healthy eating to near-fatal “orthorexianervosa” and proposed diagnostic criteria.
3. orthorexia.com

 

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