Seattle is the fourth healthiest city in the United States
and Seattleites are the second healthiest eaters according to a recent survey
by Sperling’s Best Places (2013). You can’t go far without seeing a cross fit
gym, yoga studio or a high end grocery store. The Paleo Diet, “eating
clean”, and The Raw Foods Diet are commonplace in the Seattle culture and have
undoubtedly helped some ward off early disease, increase health, vitality, and
quality of life. For some, what starts
as eating healthier can become an all consuming obsession. The paradox is
eating healthy can be unhealthy.
Orthorexia is an unofficial diagnosis that was named by Steven Bratman
MD, who discovered the disorder after recognizing his own unhealthy obsession
with healthy eating. Orthorexia is derived from Greek meaning right/proper appetite (Bratman, 2013). Obsession
with being healthy and pure is what differentiates Orthorexia from other eating
disorders. Like other eating disorders Orthorexics often have a need for control,
and make food/way of eating a source of identity and validation. Perfectionism
and black and white thinking often keep Orthorexics obsessed with following a
diet strictly or they can struggle with accepting themselves.
Orthorexia embodies traits of Anorexia and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
as foods allowed in the diet are reduced to a point where unhealthy weight loss
and malnutrition ensue. Some
attributes of Orthorexia can be; extremely limiting the types of foods eaten,
such as any food with the possibility of having pesticides, GMO’s, being
non-organic or specific ingredients and entire food groups (Nelson, Zerasky,
2011). Dr. Steven Bratman describes how some Orthorexics limit food intake to a
dangerously low and even fatal level of nutritional variety by only allowing
themselves to eat a couple types of food items (2013). Additional components of the disorder are
obsessive compulsiveness regarding food preparation such as excessive washing of
foods and not being able to eat out or eat food prepared by others, and
spending excessive time thinking about healthy food (Nelson, Zerasky, 2011).
Healthy diets, such as the ones mentioned
earlier, in and of themselves are not necessarily disordered but can cross the
border into Orthorexia when; 1) Fixation on food becomes all consuming. 2)
Personal relationships and other areas of life suffer due to rigidity to the diet
often resulting in isolation. 3) Immense guilt, anxiety, mood swings and self
loathing persist when the diet is not followed.
The tricky thing about
eating disorders including Orthorexia is the denial of having one. Especially
due to the food restriction in Orthorexia often stemming from a medical
condition, food sensitivity, allergy, or wanting better health. If you feel
like you follow a very strict diet to be healthy and other’s have shared
concerns or you have noticed that the obsession in healthy eating is taking
away from important areas of your life, Ramey Nutrition is here to support you.
Ramey Nutrition offers individualized care that begins with an individual
session with one of our Dietitians. We work with many therapists specializing
in eating disorders in the Seattle area that we can refer you to in order to
address deeper underlying emotional issues. Ramey Nutrition offers you a full
recovery that results in a restored relationship with food, ownership over your
health, and freedom to begin living your life fully again.
References:
Nelson, J., Zerask, K.(2011) Orthorexia: When eating healthy goes awry. The Mayo
Clinic.Retrieved on 09/04/2013
California
Shines, Ohio aches in battle for healthiest city (2013). Sperling’s Best Places. Retrieved on September
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