When Does Healthy Eating Morph Into Orthorexia

The obsession with healthy eating is referred to by some experts as "orthorexia." When taken to extremes, it can cause serious health problems.

Orthorexia nervosa is a term coined by Dr. Steven Bratman, a Colorado MD and author of Health Food Junkies, to denote an eating disorder characterized by a fixation on eating only "healthy food". Those who suffer from this disorder are focused on their own definition of healthy eating even if their eating style puts their health at risk.

Orthorexics consider certain foods to be unnatural or impure and may not be willing to eat foods that they have not personally prepared for fear there some "unhealthy ingredient" has been used.

Their diet may be limited to only a few "safe" foods, for instance fresh fruits and vegetables and some only consume these foods in their raw state. Some are so fanatical that they insist that their food be kept separate from the food of the rest of the family in the refrigerator, for fear the food may be contaminated.

Orthorexics want to know everything about the food they eat, including:

Where did it come from?
How did it get here?
What is it made of?
What happens once it hits the stomach?

Is Orthorexia a Bona Fide Eating Disorder

Orthorexia is considered by some clinicians to be an eating disorder, although it is not listed in the DSM, (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual published by the American Psychological Association) and others consider it a form of obsessive compulsive disorder. Still others are skeptical about its existence and consider it merely an underlying symptom of obsessive compulsive disorder.

There is no data about orthorexia but clinicians are reporting an increased incidence of orthorexia in their practices and there is no argument about the potential danger of orthorexia which can lead to malnutrition, starvation, and in extreme cases, death. Unlike anorexics, orthorexics are not concerned about weight loss or being fat. They know they are thin but their real motivation is to feel pure, healthy and natural and to eliminate toxins from their bodies.

Education about proper nutrition is an important but difficult component of treatment, because sufferers believe they know what a healthy diet is, and that their diet is healthy. They are actually proud of their dietary choices.

Warning Signs of Orthorexia

Excessive planning and worrying about food and "eating right"
Ritualistic eating - eating the same food in the same way for an extended period of time
Excessively reading labels, especially the minutia
Social isolation and refusing to eat at restaurants or at the homes of friends or family
Weight loss and nutritional deficiency

To see an in depth report on this disorder by John Stossel of ABC News click here.

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