Orthorexia: Fixation On Righteous Eating

Orthorexia Nervosa (fixation on righteous eating), is not yet a DSM diagnosis. It’s a phrase coined by Dr. Steven Bratman which describes an eating disorder in which the sufferer fixates on eating only what they define as “healthy food.” The avoidance of certain foods is quite often extreme, ultimately resulting in malnutrition and even death.

“Such people are sometimes affectionately called ‘health food junkies.’ However, in some cases, orthorexia goes beyond a mere lifestyle choice. Obsession with healthy food can progress to the point where it crowds out other activities and interests, impairs relationships, and even becomes physically dangerous. When this happens, orthorexia takes on the dimensions of a true eating disorder, like anorexia nervosa or bulimia,” explains Dr. Bratman.

“Unlike people with anorexia, patients with orthorexia are generally unconcerned about their weight, and do not feel fat. For raw foodists, vegans and fruitarians, what matters most is feeling pure.”

People suffering from this obsession may display the following signs:

* Spending more than three hours a day thinking about healthy food
* Planning tomorrow's menu today
* Feeling virtuous about what they eat, but not enjoying it much
* Continually limiting the number of foods they eat
* Experiencing a reduced quality of life or social isolation (because their diet makes it difficult for them to eat anywhere but at home)
* Feeling critical of others who do not eat as well they do
* Skipping foods they once enjoyed in order to eat the "right" foods
*Eating only foods regarded as healthy
*Relying on only natural products to treat an illness
* Feeling guilt or self-loathing when they stray from their diet
* Feeling in "total" control when they eat the correct diet

“The defining feature of orthorexia is obsession with eating healthy food and avoiding unhealthy food. The definition of healthy and unhealthy food varies widely depending on which dietary beliefs the patients has adopted. The usual immediate source of orthorexia is a health food theory, such as rawfoodism, macrobiotics, non-dairy vegetarianism, Ornish-style very-low-fat diet, or food allergies. Note that, in most cases, the underlying diet is itself reasonably healthy (if unreasonably specific). It's in the obsessive approach to diet taken by an orthorexic that the disorder lies,” says Dr. Bratman.

"We're certainly seeing more of this behavior," says Dr Yellowlees. "Like other eating disorders, the issue at the heart of it all is obsession. Part of it is to do with the way we're constantly bombarded with media messages about what's healthy and what isn't. People don't quite know what to believe, so they lose a sense of perspective. They also take a certain enjoyment from refusing food in front of others, as a way of demonstrating their superior commitment to the purity of what they eat.”

“It’s not that I don’t support eating healthy food. It's only that when healthy eating becomes an obsession, it's no longer healthy, "says Dr. Bratman.

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Sources: http://www.orthorexia.com/index.php?page=katef
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/main.jhtml?xml=/health/2008/02/22/hfood122.xml
http://www.eatingdisordershelpguide.com/orthorexia.html
Signs and symptoms: http://www.pamf.org/teen/life/bodyimage/orthorexia.html
http://www.nedic.ca/knowthefacts/definitions.shtml
picture:http://www.flickr.com/photos/grafixer/5189263412/
http://www.flow4theworld.com/2007/08/22/Eating%20an%20apple.jpg
http://spokane-county.wsu.edu/spokane/eastside/images/fruits%20and%20berries.jpg
http://www.seasonedpioneers.co.uk/assets/recipes/roasting%20vegetables%20on%20the%20grill.jpg

The Dieting / Eating Disorder Connection

Almost all of us have dieted at one time or another. Some of us have dieted on and off our entire lives. It is a widely accepted and encouraged practice for weight control in our culture but can dieting lead to an Eating Disorder? Many say, yes it can, and not just in ourselves.

Dieting can lead to unhealthy and sometimes dangerous attitudes towards food. The nature of dieting is restriction and so we tend to place certain negative values on certain foods: too many calories, too much fat, bad. This creates tension as we struggle over our food choices. Food becomes the enemy. A child/teen exposed to these attitudes in a dieting parent, sibling, or friend has an increased risk of developing an eating disorder.

"Those who diet moderately are five times more likely to develop eating disorders than those who don't diet. For those who diet 'severely,' the chances of an eating disorder are eighteen times greater," says Matthew Tiemeyer, "Dieting and its Contribution to Eating Disorders."

"The problem with dieting is that without guidelines or a support system in place, we can set unrealistic weight-loss goals for ourselves and lose control trying to attain them. That’s when eating disorders begin to unfold." according to the Center For Eating Disorders', "Put down the cookie - pick up an eating disorder?"

The most common eating disorders resulting from dieting spun out of control are "Anorexia Nervosa - a disorder that is caused by an intense fear of gaining weight, and Orthorexia - an extreme take on healthy eating where the individual will not allow him or herself to eat anything that is not deemed 'healthy'."

Dieting has become a national pastime, especially for women.
∗ Americans spend more than $40 billion dollars a year on dieting and diet-related products.
That’s roughly equivalent to the amount the U.S. Federal Government spends on
education each year.
∗ It is estimated that 40-50% of American women are trying to lose weight at any point in
time.

The Big Deal About Dieting: What You Should Know
∗ Dieting rarely works. 95% of all dieters regain their lost weight and more within 1 to 5 years.
∗ Dieting can be dangerous:
- “Yo-yo” dieting (repetitive cycles of gaining, losing, & regaining weight) has been shown
to have negative health effects, including increased risk of heart disease, long-lasting
negative impacts on metabolism, etc.
- Dieting forces your body into starvation mode. It responds by slowing down many of its
normal functions to conserve energy. This means your natural metabolism actually slows
down.
- Dieters often miss out on important nutrients. For example, dieters often don’t get enough
calcium, leaving them at risk for osteoporosis, stress fractures, and broken bones.

So, what is the solution? Stop dieting.

Sustainable weight loss calls for a healthy lifestyle change that includes food choices that are nutritionally rich with sufficient calories. Set realistic goals that allow room for mistakes and remember that it's not a contest, nor is it a race to be thin.



Sources: http://eatingdisorders.about.com/od/riskfactors/a/dietrisks.htm http://eatingdisorder.org/blog/?p=9
http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/nedaDir/files/documents/handouts/KnowDiet.pdf
picture source: MrsMenopausal