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Orthorexia is not formally recognised as a medical condition, although much literature exists on the subject. Orthorexia does not have its own official diagnosis, and some experts dispute its very existence preferring to think of it as being only marginally different from anorexia.
Steven Bratman, MD, coined the term ‘orthorexia nervosa’ in 1997. It literally means ‘correct appetite’.
It has even been suggested Bratman ‘made up’ a new eating disorder and wrote a book about it for his own financial gain.
We are all told about the importance of eating healthily, and it makes us feel good when we do it, but some people are known to take it too far and develop an obsession or fixation with healthy, ‘pure’ food. This is known as orthorexia.
The key thing to note about orthorexia is that it is not just about watching what you eat, nor is it about taking the time to choose quality, organic ingredients that are sourced locally and in season.
Orthorexia is a continual obsession with food.
An orthorexic person becomes extremely disciplined about what they eat, and only eats foods they perceive to be pure and natural. They may insist the food they eat is organic, uncooked, and free from additives, pesticides and artificial ingredients, and that it is non-processed, sugar and fat free.
The length of time the food has been out of the ground and the way it is packaged are sometimes of vital importance, and so is the way the food is prepared. Utensils used must meet certain requirements, and a high degree of cleanliness and sterilisation must be ensured around the food.
Being able to adhere to these self-imposed rules induces a sense of being cleansed of impurities, self-righteousness and control, and a feeling of being better than those people who eat ‘bad’ foods.
A person with orthorexia will spend much of their time, perhaps several hours each day, thinking about and planning what they will eat today and the day after, where they will buy their food from and how they will prepare it.
Life becomes a constant battle to find and eat only the ‘right’ foods and avoid the temptation to eat impure, contaminated or dangerous foods (such as sweets, cakes, crisps, bread, or even cooked and processed foods). Feelings of guilt, disgust and imperfection will often follow any deviation from the rules.
Orthorexia can make it difficult to enjoy the social aspects of eating, such as going out for dinner with friends or even accepting an invitation to a family meal. The strict rules surrounding food means the person becomes increasingly confined to eating at home, and has to take food out with them.
Like other eating disorders, a person with orthorexia will find their relationship with food filtrates into other areas of their lives, as they plan much of what they do around what they eat, when they eat it and where they buy it from.
While orthorexia has been compared to anorexia, orthorexia is to do with wanting to be healthy and cleansed rather than wanting to lose weight, and it is the type and quality of food, not the quantity, that is important.
Another point to note is that anorexia and bulimia are predominantly secretive illnesses where the sufferer tries to hide what they are doing. An orthorexic person is proud of their food choices and often enjoys talking about them with their friends.
Regardless of whether or not orthorexia is ever officially determined to be an eating disorder in its own right, people who are obsessed with eating only ‘pure’ foods and eliminating entire food groups could be putting their health at risk. A balance of nutrients is required for a healthy body.