What Are The Warning Signs Of Orthorexia?

Orthorexia has been getting a lot of attention as of late–within the eating disorder field–and even in mainstream media.

But first, let’s define what orthorexia is.

Orthorexia is defined as an unhealthy focus on eating healthily.

Eating nutritious food is excellent, but people with orthorexia tend to obsess about it to the degree that can damage their overall well-being. 

Steven Bratman, MD, a Californian doctor, coined the term in 1996. It means “fixation on righteous eating.”  Since then, many medical professionals have accepted the concept, but it still is not an official diagnosis.

The basic idea is that it includes eating habits that reject a variety of foods for not being “pure” enough. Eventually, people with orthorexia begin to avoid whole meals that don’t meet their standards or that they don’t make themselves. 

Some experts think there are similarities between orthorexia and eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia nervosa. All are about food and control. 

While many people living with this condition may report that it started as a positive way to improve their health, for those who have the biological, social, and psychological precursors for developing an eating disorder, these seemingly innocuous lifestyle changes can have very opposite effects.

Why Do People Become Obsessed with “Clean Eating”?

Here are some of the many reasons that may lead an individual on the path to “clean eating” that can eventually develop into Orthorexia Nervosa.

• To lose weight or look better
• To avoid medical illnesses and diseases
• To avoid foods due to diagnosed or undiagnosed allergies
• An irrational concern over food origin or the chemicals that may be lurking in foods

This condition isn’t typically driven by poor body image. While individuals with anorexia might exhibit similar patterns of restriction, orthorexia isn’t necessarily rooted in obsessions over appearance or efforts to lose weight.

Orthorexia is entrenched in the need to eat or be “healthy.”

Weight loss is not necessarily a clinical marker of orthorexia, however, some cases do involve weight loss. An orthorexia diet is an unbalanced diet that often results in malnutrition.

While someone with orthorexia may feel as though cutting out certain foods will bring immense health benefits, they are often doing quite the opposite–depleting their nutrition by vastly limiting food variety. Again, this weight loss is typically not intentional.

What are the warning signs and symptoms of Orthorexia?

• Obsession with avoiding foods that contain animal products, fats, sugar, salt, food coloring or dyes, and pesticides.
• Obsessive concern with food and the development of health consequences such as medical illnesses including asthma, allergies, and gastrointestinal problems.
• Obsession with consuming supplements and vitamins.
• An extreme limitation on food groups may result in only consuming less than a total of ten ingredients.
• An increased amount of time spent thinking about food.
• Allowing food to revolve around one’s daily schedule.
• Obsession with meal prepping.
• Irrational concern about food preparation techniques and cleanliness of the kitchen.
• Avoidance of food prepared or brought by others, even at social events.
• Extreme feelings of guilt or shame when consuming unhealthy foods.
• Feelings of power and satisfaction when consuming only healthy foods.
• Refusing to go out to eat or allowing oneself to be around other types of food.
• Isolating oneself from others because they do not share the same beliefs.
• Severe anxiety regarding how food is prepared.
• Avoidance of soc events involving food for fear of being unable to comply with the diet.
• Thinking critically of others who do not follow strict diets.
• Spending extreme amounts of time and money on meal planning and food choices.
• Feelings of guilt or shame when unable to adhere to diet standards.
• Feeling fulfilled or virtuous from eating “healthy” while losing interest in other activities once enjoyed.
• Focusing on “good and bad” food.

What does orthorexia do to your body?

Orthorexia can have a devastating impact on a person’s body, creating significant medical complications.

“As much as people think they’re getting everything they need from their ‘pure foods,’ they’re not,” says Dr. Elizabeth Hamlin, medical director for the adult inpatient eating disorder program at Rogers–Oconomowoc.  “This is especially true because, as orthorexia progresses, people begin eating fewer and fewer different foods.”

Examples of physical effects on the body:

• Cardiac abnormalities such as a very slow heart rate and cardiac rhythm disturbances
• Kidney problems
• Brittle nails
• Yellow skin
• Hair falling out

To Recap

1.   Orthorexia is defined as an unhealthy focus on eating in a healthy way or a fixation on righteous eating.
2.   Orthorexia isn’t typically driven by poor body image, an orthorexia diet is an unbalanced diet that often results in malnutrition focusing on trying to eat “healthy”.
3.   Some of the signs of orthorexia include:

• An obsessive concern with food and the development of health consequences such as medical illnesses including asthma, allergies, and gastrointestinal problems.
• Avoidance of social events involving food for fear of being unable to comply with the diet.
• Feelings of guilt or shame when unable to adhere to diet standards.
• Thinking critically of others who do not follow strict diets.

4.   As orthorexia progresses, people begin eating fewer and fewer different foods which can cause detrimental effects on the body. 

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Lots of Love,

Bríd