Are You Obsessed With Eating Healthy?
If you are so obsessed with eating healthy that is getting in the way of your normal daily life activities and what you are eating is actually not helping your body, then you may be suffering from Orthorexia Nervosa.
Orthorexia Nervosa is not currently an officially recognized disorder in the DSM-5, but many people struggle with symptoms associated with this term. Those who have an “unhealthy obsession” with healthy eating may be suffering from “orthorexia nervosa,” a term which literally means “fixation on righteous eating.”
Following a healthy diet does not mean you are orthorexic, and nothing is wrong with eating healthfully. However there is a problem if:
1) It is taking up an inordinate amount of time and attention in your life
2) Deviating from that diet is met with guilt and self-loathing.
3) It is used to avoid life issues and leaves you separate and alone.
4) Your choice in healthy food has unhealthy impact on your body (not enough mass body fat, you have lost your menstrual cycle, etc.), but you cannot stop eating that way.
Is Orthorexia Nervosa an Eating Disorder?
The term, Orthorexia, identifies a genuine eating problem. It is similar to other eating disorders in that those with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa obsess about calories and weight while orthorexics obsess about healthy eating (not about being “thin” and losing weight).
The diet of someone suffering from Orthorexia can actually be unhealthy, with nutritional deficits specific to the diet they have imposed upon themselves. These nutritional issues may not always be apparent, however social problems are more obvious. Orthorexics may be socially isolated, often because they plan their life around food. They may have little room in life for anything other than thinking about and planning food intake. Orthorexics lose the ability to eat intuitively – to know when they are hungry, how much they need, and when they are full. Instead of eating naturally they are destined to keep “falling off the wagon,” resulting in a feeling of failure familiar to followers of any diet.
Treatment for Orthorexia
While orthorexia is not a condition your doctor will diagnose, recovery can require professional help. A practitioner skilled at treating eating disorders is the best choice. Using Cognitive Behavior Therapy or DBT to help with the symptoms of Orthorexia may be very beneficial for you to return to a healthy and functional lifestyle.
