Healthy Eating or Orthorexia Nervosa?

“All I could think about was food. Even when I became aware that my scrabbling in the dirt after raw vegetables and wild plants had become an obsession, I found it terribly difficult to free myself. I had been seduced by righteous eating” – Stephen Bratman

Orthorexia Nervosa or ‘Healthy Eating’ disorder was coined by American doctor Stephen Bratman in 1997 after his own unhealthy obsession with ‘healthy eating’. As yet, it has not been classified as an official disorder, however Orthorexia Nervosa appears to give some people the label they have been looking for to explain troubling behaviour. It is important to clarify, that the concept of Orthorexia Nervosa in no way criticizes ethical, spiritual or moral food choices. This is an exploration and a voice, for those people who find themselves trapped in making extreme dietary choices that cause psychological distress and ill health, whilst in the quest for ultimate dietary purity.

So what is Orthorexia Nervosa?

Orthorexia Nervosa is an obsession with ‘eating healthily’, which becomes extreme and negatively impacts the psychological and sometimes physical wellbeing of the individual. Fundamentally, individuals with Orthorexia become so obsessed with being healthy, they make themselves sick.

A person with Orthorexia obsesses about food purity, and seeks to attain ultimate health by eliminating foods and entire food groups that are believed to contaminate and compromise the body. A disproportionate amount of time is dedicated to researching, planning, preparing and acquiring food that fits the bill. Unlike Anorexia Nervosa, where individuals are preoccupied with weight loss, suffer a deep dislike for the appearance of their body, and fear gaining weight, people with Orthorexia are concerned with food purity. Food groups are whittled away so severely, that in some instances leads to malnutrition and in rare cases death. Individuals may take on an almost righteous or spiritual relationship to their food choices, and it becomes a deep part of their personal identity, and a place where they can gain self-esteem and self-worth. People who are experiencing Orthorexia may begin to feel guilty, anxious and even worthless if they slip outside of their own rigid ‘healthy eating’ regime.

There is now such an abundance of information available to us regarding our food. We consider the origins of our food, food quality and nutritional profile, whether it is grown, produced and manufactured within ethical and sustainable guidelines, and the potential healing properties of particular diets for a diverse list of health conditions. All these domains are important and need our conscious awareness, as we craft and influence the wellbeing of the earth, animals and people with our food choices. However, with such an array of information, and a myriad of self-created authorities and experts that come with the terrain of the internet, it can be difficult to determine what is indeed healthy, and how far to commit to a particular food regime.

Food choice has for many become packaged with a healthy lifestyle that includes particular hobbies, exercise, clothing brands, and cafes and restaurants. Vital living is not only a healthy goal, but has become a new platform for social comparison, and has the potential to be the new hamster wheel for striving to attain happiness and acceptance.

When we get in the habit of comparing ourselves to others, and striving for any kind of perfection, it isn’t long before we arrive again at feeling ‘not enough’, because perfection is an unattainable goal. Most human behaviours serve a psychological function, even the ones labelled as unhelpful. Obsession can function as a method of gaining a sense of control when other areas of life are uncertain, and obsession can arise when we try to avoid an area in our lives that isn’t working, and we are unable or unwilling to attend to it.

Our best chance at ‘getting it right’ is to check in with our values, and our physical and emotional wellbeing as the compass for wellness. If committing to a food lifestyle is causing significant psychological distress or physical ill health, it may be an invitation to contemplate the choices being made, and how they are serving you. Are your food choices contributing to vibrant health, or are they detrimental to your wellbeing?

Here are a few questions to consider (although by no means absolute indicators of Orthorexia Nervosa) if you are concerned that your commitment to healthy eating is becoming unhealthy:

*Are you isolating yourself from friends and family because their dietary habits and beliefs are uncomfortable for you?
*Do you struggle to go out to social events, dinner parties and restaurants because the food available will not be appropriate for you?
*Have you had sudden or significant weight loss due to dietary changes?
*Are you eliminating multiple food groups from your diet such as dairy, grains, fruits and meat?
*Do you experience guilt, feelings of contamination or distress when having eaten something outside your dietary regime?
*Is the quality of your life in areas outside of food becoming impoverished?
*Do you believe it will solve many of your problems if you can just ‘eat right’?
*Have your food choices created financial debt or burden?

If you believe your food eating choices may be causing you stress or physical ill health, speak to your doctor, dietician, or naturopath about your concerns, and have your general health assessed. It may be necessary to connect with a therapist to support you in finding healthful ways of relating to food.

Happy Tips for healthy Eating:

Enjoy your vices. People who live in Blue Zones around the world (known areas where people live the longest), enjoy their food and beverage vices. A piece of cake or a glass of wine can bring great pleasure in life, and may contribute to greater longevity and happiness.

Unless your values, spiritual practice, or medical advice require it, avoid rigidly eliminating entire food groups. Consider food groups as ‘sometimes’ foods and ‘everyday’ foods.

Eat meals communally when possible. Humans are social creatures and communal eating has great positive impact on human health.

Reflect on how you relate to difficult emotions and uncertainty, perhaps there is scope for you to develop a meditation practice, find a creative outlet, or invest in a few sessions with a counsellor.

Monitor how you engage with social media. Are you looking for the next ‘way to eat’ as the answer. Are you comparing yourself to others? Reflect on what you have to be grateful for in your life, and in yourself.

Eat mindfully. Slow down, and connect to your food with gratitude and enjoyment.

​If you would like to learn more about Orthorexia Nervosa or make an appointment for individual counselling, please contact Natalia.