Orthorexia Nervosa: An unhealthy obsession with healthy eating

After suffering from abdominal pain, digestive problems and a tough breakup, Ashley Bailey started researching whether ‘clean eating’ could help her feel better.

“After learning that some people are intolerant to dairy, she cut milk and cheese from her diet and was relieved when her heartburn disappeared. But she didn’t stop there. Convinced she could detox her body even more, she researched other food groups that had been implicated in health problems and within a year had eliminated gluten, grains, meat, starchy vegetables and most fruits,” explained Sarah Elizabeth Richards, author of Orthorexia: When Healthy Eating Becomes a Disorder.

What started out for Ashley as a genuine interest in becoming healthier quickly developed into an obsession.

In Sarah’s article, she explained how Ashley experienced extreme anxiety about everything she ate and became acutely aware of how every ingredient made her body feel.

“Eating out felt like torture because she couldn’t control how the food was prepared. Were the spices organic? Was the chicken raised in cages? Was sugar added to the sauce? Was a dish really gluten-free? Ashley would break down crying because she could taste so many different flavours, and she didn’t know what they all were or where the ingredients were sourced,” explained Sarah.

On her mission to purify herself through food, Ashley consumed so few calories that she lost an enormous, unhealthy amount of body weight.

Most surprisingly: Healthy habits to quit this year 

Healthy gone unhealthy

When following a certain style of eating, like vegan, raw or organic, it takes vigilance and dedication to stick to it.

“Mental health experts are increasingly worried about people who take healthy eating to an extreme, developing such a restrictive diet it threatens their health and even relationships,” said the author in her article.

There’s now a name for people dangerously addicted to all things healthy — a sufferer of orthorexia nervosa.

“Characterised by disordered eating fueled by a desire for ‘clean’ or ‘healthy’ foods, those diagnosed with the condition are overly pre-occupied with the nutritional makeup of what they eat. They rigidly avoid any food they deem to be unhealthy, or spend excessive amounts of time and money in search of the most ‘pure’ foods,” explained Sarah.

The article emphasised that this disorder differs from one where you’re obsessed with being skinny. Rather, it’s linked to trying to be as healthy as can be.

However, the condition is under-studied and no-one knows how widespread it is.

Another good read: Six bad habits that have health benefits 

The line between being careful and being obsessive

This line can be difficult to distinguish. The article explained that whether you suffer from the disorder or not depends on how much the fixation interferes with your quality of life, and your ability to be social and function.

“Health-conscious eaters might prefer fresh foods, but won’t fall apart if they eat a handful of tortilla chips at a party. At the other extreme, an orthorexic person might skip a cruise vacation if they don’t think they’ll like the food on the ship,”explained the author.

Worried that your desire to eat clean has spiraled out of control?

If you identify with two or more of the following traits, you may want to seek out a nutritionist or counsellor:

• You’re preoccupied about how eating impure or unhealthy foods will affect your physical or emotional health.
• You rigidly avoid any food you deem to be ‘unhealthy’, such as those containing fat, preservatives, additives or animal products.
• You spend three or more hours per day reading about, acquiring or preparing certain kinds of food you believe to be ‘pure’.
• You feel guilty if you eat foods you believe to be ‘impure’.
• You’re intolerant of other’s food beliefs.
• You spend an excessive proportion of your income on ‘pure’ foods.

Reclaiming balance isn’t easy, these tips might help:

• Seek out a compromise. Even if you’re stuck at a place where there’s seemingly nothing to eat, you can still find a way to take care of yourself.
• Don’t demonise foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad’.
• See a therapist to deal with the emotional components of eating disorders.

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