Orthorexia nervosa is characterized by an excessive obsession with healthy eating. Unlike typical eating disorders that focus on quantity, orthorexia nervosa revolves around the quality of food. Individuals with orthorexia nervosa are predominantly concerned with their perception of healthy foods rather than weight loss or a desire to be thin.
Signs and Symptoms
While orthorexia nervosa lacks official diagnostic criteria, individuals affected by it commonly exhibit the following signs and symptoms:
- Intense fear of "unhealthy" foods and efforts to avoid them
- Obsession with healthy and nutritious foods
- Feeling anxious if they deviate from specific dietary patterns
- Obsession with reading nutritional information and food ingredient lists
- Avoiding eating large quantities of food, without medical, religious, cultural, or ethical intent
- Spending excessive time planning, shopping for, and preparing healthy meals
- Spending too much time choosing menus or thinking about food presentation
- Holding unconventional views on others' eating habits
- Avoiding consuming food prepared by others
- Bringing their own food to events because they believe others' food won't meet their "healthy" standards
- Weight loss and even malnutrition due to strict dietary restrictions
People with orthorexia nervosa categorize food into "clean" and "dirty."
Risk Factors
The exact cause of orthorexia nervosa is unknown, but several factors may contribute to its development. These include past eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive traits, perfectionism, nutritional knowledge, high income, access to organic food, social media campaigns, weight bias, or experiences of bullying.
Additionally, the promotion of the "clean eating" lifestyle on social media likely plays a significant role in the development of orthorexia nervosa. Supporters of "clean eating" vigorously promote whole foods and minimize processed foods. Unfortunately, this approach tends to create a distinction between foods, categorizing them as "clean" or "dirty."
Negative Impacts
Interestingly, orthorexia nervosa is more prevalent in certain groups, such as health science students, healthcare workers, and individuals who are vegan or vegetarian. While maintaining a healthy diet is the primary goal, an obsession with it leads to negative impacts, including:
- Physical: nutrient deficiencies, malnutrition, anemia, slowed heart rate
- Psychological: frustration, guilt, self-loathing, extreme worry if they deviate from their healthy eating rules, leading to decreased productivity, social activities, and enjoyment
- Social: difficulty in social interactions due to viewing others' food choices as "unhealthy" while considering their choices superior
Despite not intending to lose weight, individuals with orthorexia nervosa are at risk of experiencing malnutrition.
Orthorexia nervosa is characterized by an excessive obsession with healthy eating, where individuals prioritize the quality of food over quantity. Signs include fear of unhealthy foods, obsession with nutritious foods, and compulsive behaviors related to food selection and consumption. One influential factor in its development is the promotion of the "clean eating" lifestyle.
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