Orthorexia

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[[File:High Fat Foods - NCI Visuals Online.jpg|thumb|High Calorie Foods - NCI Visuals Online]]
'''Orthorexia''', also known as '''Orthorexia nervosa''', is a serious eating disorder characterized by an extreme aversion to foods perceived to be unhealthy, whether those foods actually are unhealthy or not.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20140704052100/http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1963297,00.html Orthorexia: Can Healthy Eating Be a Disorder?], ''Time'', 12-Feb-2010</ref>  While orthorexia is the subject of academic research, it is not currently formally recognized as a psychiatric disorder.<ref name="paperfeb2015">[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4340368/ The clinical basis of orthorexia nervosa: emerging perspectives]</ref>

The OED's first citation for use of the term is a 1997 article in the ''Yoga Journal'' (Sept.–Oct. 44) where the writer claims to have coined the term "orthorexia nervosa" by analogy with "anorexia nervosa".<ref>"orthorexia, n." OED Online. Oxford University Press, September 2016. Web. 30 November 2016.</ref>

==Signs==
People with orthorexia refuse to eat foods that they think are unhealthy. Rather than just [[the dose makes the poison|cutting back on]] less-than-healthy foods, someone with orthorexia will lump broad categories of food together as "bad for you" and avoid all of them entirely.

This might include avoiding foods that aren't [[organic food|organic]], or aren't [[vegan]], or ''are'' vegan, or are [[raw foodism|cooked]], or are [[Alkaline diet|acidic]], or [[Alkaline diet|are fruit]], or aren't fruit (see {{wpl|Fruitarianism||),}} or have [[Macrobiotics|too much yang]], or contain even the slightest trace of [[high fructose corn syrup]] or [[trans fat]] or [[gluten-free|gluten]], or that someone ''might'' be [[food allergy|allergic]] to despite a lack of obvious symptoms.

Unlike your average vegetarian or healthy eater, someone with orthorexia will obsess over their diet to an unhealthy extent. Breaking their rigid eating rules may trigger an emotional spiral, and the obsession is so severe that their health, well-being, and everyday life ends up suffering.

They may also spend excessive amounts of time researching healthy recipes, judge other people for eating a less "healthy" diet, or obsess over social media accounts about "healthy lifestyles."<ref>[https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/eating-disorders/201902/orthorexia-10-signs-you-should-seek-help-now Orthorexia: 10 Signs You Should Seek Help Now], [[Psychology Today]]</ref>

According to [https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/by-eating-disorder/other/orthorexia National Eating Disorders] someone with orthorexia may also spend hours per day thinking about what food might be served at upcoming events. However body image concerns may or may not be present in signs of orthorexia.

==Identification==
Diagnostic criteria aren't clear yet, making the condition not always easy to identify.<ref>[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26902744/ Prevalence of orthorexia nervosa is less than 1 %: data from a US sample], Eating and Weight Disorders</ref>

Researchers have proposed a 2-part set of criteria.<ref>[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1471015315300362 On orthorexia nervosa: A review of the literature and proposed diagnostic criteria], Thomas Dunn and Steven Bratman</ref>

Obsessive focus on healthy eating
* '''Behaviors or thoughts:''' Compulsive behaviors or obsessions related to diet
* '''Anxiety:''' feelings of shame, fear, impurity, or other negative things when breaking self-imposed rules
* '''Severe restrictions:''' eliminations of large categories of foods (such as food groups) and/or excessive cleanses & fasting

Behavior that disrupts daily life
* '''Medical issues:''' malnutrition, serious weight loss, or other health conditions caused by disordered eating habits
* '''Lifestyle disruption:''' significant stress and/or difficulties with work, school, socializing, or other areas caused by their beliefs/behavior
* '''Emotional dependence:''' self-esteem, identity, body image, or other traits becoming dependent on self-imposed diet rules

==Effects==
Much like other eating disorders, orthorexia can lead to physical problems (such as anemia or malnutrition), impaired cognition, and social isolation.<ref>[https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/orthorexia-nervosa-101 Orthorexia: When Healthy Eating Becomes a Disorder], Healthline</ref> (It's hard to go out to get dessert with your friends if even the idea of eating ice cream makes you panic.)

Anorexia nervosa<ref>[https://www.banyantreatmentcenter.com/2022/09/23/long-term-effects-of-orthorexia-philadelphia/ Long-Term Effects of Orthorexia]. Banyan Treatment Center, 23 September 2022.</ref> treatment will be necessary to counter such effects as a person may become seriously malnourished. Although these effects are not always  life-long, they are long-term if a person does not receive proper medical care and attention.

==Treatment==
There is currently no data on the most effective treatments for orthorexia, but researchers recommend options like:<ref name="paperfeb2015" />
* [[Cognitive behavioral therapy]]
* Education
* Medication

Many eating disorder experts treat Orthorexia as a variety of anorexia and/or obsessive-compulsive disorder therefore treatment usually involves psychotherapy to increase the variety of foods eaten and exposure to anxiety-provoking or feared foods, as well as weight restoration as needed.<ref>[https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/by-eating-disorder/other/orthorexia Orthorexia], National Eating Disorders Association.</ref>

==See also==
*[[Clean living movement]]
*[[Superfoods]]
*[[NaturalNews]]
*[[FoodBabe]]
*[[Pro-ana]]

==External links==
*[http://www.orthorexia.com/ Orthorexia.com]
*[http://www.orthorexianervosa.com/ Orthorexianervosa.com]
*[http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/orthorexia-nervosa Orthorexia Nervosa on nationaleatingdisorders.org]
*[http://www.nwedible.com/2012/08/tragedy-healthy-eater.html The Terrible Tragedy of the Healthy Eater]
*[http://blogs.plos.org/publichealth/2014/04/29/easy-believe-food-toxic/ Why it’s so easy to believe our food is toxic], on PLOS blogs
*[http://www.mercurynews.com/News/ci_26411514/Orthorexia:-When-healthy-diets-go-too-far Orthorexia: When healthy diets go too far], San Jose Mercury News, 27-Aug-2014
*[http://www.twipscience.org/news/2014/9/4/orthorexia-also-nicknamed-the-food-babe-disorder Orthorexia, Also Nicknamed the Food Babe Disorder], This Week in Pseudoscience, 7-Sept-2014 (Link now dead and domain squatted)
*[http://online.wsj.com/articles/when-healthy-eating-calls-for-treatment-1415654737 When Healthy Eating Calls For Treatment], ''Wall Street Journal'', 10-Nov-2013
*[http://abcnews.go.com/Health/obsession-healthy-eating-dangerous-risk/story?id=26866895 When an Obsession With Healthy Eating Becomes a Dangerous Risk], ABC News, 13-Nov-2014
*[http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/well-good/inspire-me/73919764/Orthorexia-When-clean-eating-spirals-out-of-control Orthorexia: When clean eating spirals out of control], ''well&good'', stuff.co.nz, 12-Nov-2015
*[https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/aug/11/why-we-fell-for-clean-eating Why we fell for clean eating ], ''[[The Guardian]]'', 11-Aug-2017

==References==
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[[Category:Food woo]]
[[Category:Psychology]]

Categories: Food woo, Psychology