Orthorexia

Orthorexia is a term used to describe someone who is obsessive about eating healthy and has little flexibility in food choice. Although orthorexia is not yet listed as a stand-alone diagnosis, it can be a precursor to an eating disorder and can have a negative impact on physical and mental health. Healthy eating is making wise choices about food and having flexibility in what one eats, whereas Orthorexia describes someone who is fearful about eating outside of his or her stringent guidelines. Convincing someone that their eating is “too healthy” can be difficult, since the advice appears to run counter to the consistent social admonition to “eat healthy”. Symptoms of Orthorexia include:

• Obsession over the nutritional value of food
• Reluctance/refusal to share meals with friends or family if menu cannot be controlled
• Rumination over meal planning
• Feelings of guilt for eating anything “unhealthy”
• Identity is significantly influenced by eating only healthy foods