What is 'Orthorexia', a mental disorder that sticks to not eating unhealthy foods?


By

sonyakamoz

In recent years, foods that claim to be 'healthy' such as 'additive-free,' 'gluten-free,' 'low-fat,' and 'low-carbohydrate' have become ubiquitous. However, the mental disorder 'Orthorexia ', which is morbidly obsessed with 'healthy diet', undermines physical and mental health.

Orthorexia: When'Clean Eating' Become An Unhealthy Obsession: The Salt: NPR
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/10/07/766847274/when-efforts-to-eat-clean-become-an-unhealthy-obsession

Orthorexia is a mental disorder that sticks to 'not eating things that are considered to be harmful to the body' such as fats, preservatives, and additives. The difference from anorexia nervosa is that anorexia nervosa is due to the obsession of 'wanting to lose weight', but Orthorexia does not want to lose weight, but is due to the obsession with a healthy and natural diet.

A typical Orthorexia is the experience of Alex Everlakes. After graduating from college, Everlakes exercises twice a day and 10 types of 'spinach, chicken, egg white, red pepper, spaghetti squash , asparagus, salmon, berries, sugar-free almond milk, almond butter'. I switched to a lifestyle where I only eat food. Everlakes succeeded in losing weight from 250 pounds (about 113 kg) to 140 pounds (about 64 kg), and it seems that he got a cracked abdominal muscle in a six pack.


By

Nikolaydonetsk

However, Mr. Everlakes gradually became afraid to eat unhealthy food. When he came to work, he had to eat with other people, so Everlakes started working at home and eventually stopped going out and had no friends.

Orthorexia is said to be a fairly recent phenomenon. In an essay written by Dr. Stephen Bratman in the Yoga Journal in 1997, the Greek words 'ortho', which means 'correct,' and 'orexis,' which means 'appetite,' were combined to form 'Orthorexia.' (orthorexis) 'is the etymology. In recent years, celebrities have started posting photos of diet meals on social media, and it is said that the number of people suffering from orthorexia is increasing.


By seventyfourimages

Sondra Kromberg, founder of the Eating Disorder Treatment Cooperative outside New York City, praises her efforts to maintain a healthy diet. However, according to Mr. Kromberg, 'If your concentration on your diet becomes a threat to your life, you need to suspect an eating disorder.' Orthorexia is an obsession with avoiding unhealthy foods, but healthy foods are often deficient in certain nutrients and calories, resulting in unhealthy follow-up with orthorexia.

Everlakes has been treated for two years after suffering from orthorexia and is trying to improve her diet. Everlakes tried new foods every few days and made friends who didn't care about food.

'For me, the way to control Orthorexia is to realize that eating a piece of pizza doesn't mean that the world will collapse,' said Everlakes.

in Food, Posted by darkhorse_log