Thanks to many of your blog posts, I learned that last week was National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. You had some great, insightful posts on intuitive eating and on celebrating our bodies for the amazing things they enable us to do.
When one thinks of eating disorders, anorexia, bulimia, and compulsive overeating come to mind. But in this post, I want to highlight another eating disorder, because I feel it’s the one to which we healthy-living bloggers and readers can probably most relate:
Orthorexia Nervosa
Orthorexia Nervosa is characterized by an excessive focus on eating healthy foods. Basically, its sufferers start out with a simple desire to live a healthy lifestyle, but they become so preoccupied with eating healthily that it becomes an unhealthy obsession.
Unlike with anorexia, orthorexics don’t necessarily think they’re fat. Their underlying motivation, therefore, is not to be thin or lose weight, but to be “pure.” However, with such restrictive diets, they can become just as malnourished as anorexics. People suffering might avoid certain foods, such as non-organic foods, cooked foods, or processed foods. (Feel free to click over to the following post for more about my thoughts on processed foods.)
This doesn’t mean that every vegan, raw foodist, or person who strives to eat a healthy diet has orthorexia. It’s only when the healthy diet becomes an obsession; when a person spends hours planning out his/her “perfect” diet, calculating nutrients, preparing everything in a very specific way (and not letting anyone else prepare his/her food), that one can be seen to have a problem.
People suffering from orthorexia may display some of the following signs:
- Feeling virtuous about what they eat, but not enjoying their food much
- Continually cutting foods from their diet
- Experiencing a reduced quality of life or social isolation because their diet makes it difficult for them to eat anywhere but at home
- Feeling critical of, or superior to, others who do not eat as healthily they do
- Skipping foods they once enjoyed in order to eat the “right” foods
- Choosing to eat foods based solely on nutritional value, instead of eating what they’re craving
- Feeling guilt or self-loathing when they stray from their diet
- Feeling in total control when they eat the “correct” diet
I can definitely see myself, if not careful, displaying some of the other orthorexic tendencies, like feeling critical or looking down on certain foods, such as white bread, white pasta, and white rice, deeming them “valueless.” Does having one of the characteristics mean I have orthorexia?
No, of course not.
But I do have to remind myself that just because it’s white bread does not mean it’s worthless. After all, a food is so much more than its numerical nutritional value. The French have been eating white bread for years, the Japanese eat white rice, the Italians enjoy white pasta… and so on.
Sure, it’s great to eat a healthy diet 90% of the time, mostly choosing whole-grains over white ones. But honestly, a little nutritionally valueless piece of white-flour-white-sugar cake every now and then is not going to hurt you. It’s not something you should feel guilty about, but something to be enjoyed! And the enjoyment you can get out of eating it will boost your mental (and thus physical) health! My great-grandma ate processed foods, drank coffee, and—as an Italian—loved her daily servings of white pasta. But one thing my great-grandma did NOT invite into her life was stress. She lived well into her 90s.
There’s a lesson to be learned here: Stress and guilt are much more detrimental to one’s health than eating a few refined grains every now and then. In the end, “Orthorexia Nervosa” is just a label. Whether you fit that label or not, we can all probably benefit from the reminder that food is only one component to a healthy life. Eat what your body truly craves, exercise (but not excessively), feed your soul, and–above all–try to stress as little as possible. Such is the way to a healthy life. (Sounds like something Confucius would say!)
What are your thoughts on all of this?
Gawd, it is so easy to be orthorexic nowadays. I mean there’s always some report saying that this new food is bad for you. Look at all the foods that have undergone hatred, and exaltation
Meat: It’s high in fat, cholesterol, hormones, and sodium, but is a very good source of protein, and cholesterol doesn’t affect blood cholesterol
Milk: It’s also high in fat, hormones, and it comes from cows, but is a good source of calcium, and satfat doesn’t affect blood cholesterol
Nuts: Are so high in calories and fat and phytic acid, and easily-oxidizing pufas, but have a little bit of protein, and the fats are healthy
Saturated oils: Saturated fat raises blood cholesterol, but these saturated fats are unique and aren’t digested like butter.
Grains and beans: are high in carbs, and you’ll never lose weight if you eat carbs, and are full of phytic acid and gluten, but are full of fiber and complex carbs keep you fuller.
Fruits and starchy vegetables: are full of sugar and carbs and high glycaemic and make you gain weight, but are full of vitamins and fiber.
Lettuce: Nutritionally worthless leaves
Basically, the only thing left is raw vegetables, which on there own can be fairly bitter and well, not pleasing to the palate. When we believe everything the media says about unhealthy food, all we’ll be eating are kale and spinach. One vegan has this blog and she won’t eat olive oil or nuts because they are pure calories and have too many calories per ounce. She also thinks that if you eat one egg white, you will get kidney disease because they are mostly protein and have no fiber. I think she’s pretty ridiculous and does not know how to be a vegan.
Oh dear, I think I may just be guilty as charged…
But it’s something I readily admit to lately, and something I know I need to start working on fixing. (So when I craved peanut butter and jelly with banana and coconut sandwiches at 2am last night, I sure as hell didn’t stop myself from going and making some! And I refuse to feel guilty about it)
this hit very close to home–i had this for about a year, and while i loved how i looked, i was upset, compulsive, critical, nervous, angry…i wasn’t happy with ME. doing 80/20, 75/25, or whatever i’m feeling that day, has definitely made life soooo much better and easier and happier. i’m still health conscious, but as a marathon runner, i have to make sure that i fuel my body properly so i can do what i love. more light needs to be shed on this! thank you cck!!!
Wow. That is a completely different take on eat disorders. I had never thought of it that way. I myself have cut certain foods out of my diet (gluten, dairy etc.) It is scary to think that if we are not careful we could end up with a disorder.
Thanks for posting this Katie and raisin awareness. You are SO right, those “valueless” foods need to be enjoyed every now and then so we do not lose sight of things!
Favorite junk foods… Peanut butter eaten on a spoon! dark chocolate anything but particularly Lindt 90%, coconut ice cream and frozen banana ice cream. Yum!
Thank you for the timely reminder! Well said 🙂
Hi Katie! I have been following your site for a while now and absolutely love it. I must say however, that I think this is your best post ever! I have also been following foodbabe and while she provides a lot of helpful tips– I was recently just thinking about how sometimes its all a bit extreme. I think your message is so needed and critical, especially from someone like you. I had never heard of Orthorexia, but it makes a lot of sense! I make a lot of efforts to eat right, but i think you are so correct when you point out guilt and stress are as if not more destructive. Looking forward to your posts and wonderful work!
I am a recovering anorexic and I am beginning to wonder if I do not have this as well.
Thanks so much for writing about this. I wish I had seen this before now. I had orthorexia almost 2 years ago and, at the time, it ruined my life! I had all the signs and would avoid hanging out with friends in fear of being pressured to eat something “unhealthy.” I remember that I would stress out so much if I had to go out to eat. Sometimes, I still struggle with eating.
Anyway, it’s nice to know that there’s a name to what I had. Thanks for spreading awareness!
Hey Katie! This is such a great post and it’s great to see that awareness on orthorexia nervosa is rising, because it really is a serious eating disorder. I’m in high school and recently (within the past 7-8 months), I lost a TON of weight because I was sick and tired of being overweight (especially since I’m a dancer). I struggled with anorexia last year and it did absolutely nothing for me. Instead of starving myself, I turned to becoming even more active and eating only really healthy foods. Over time, I kept on getting stricter and stricter with myself, and the weight just came off so fast. Although I was eating enough, I was only eating “healthy” foods and I felt so guilty every time I strayed from my “diet.” Now, I treat myself maybe once or twice a week, but I’m still losing weight and at this point, I seriously can’t afford to lose any more. I am trying my best to overcome this obsession and I know it will pass eventually. I just wanted to thank you for raising awareness on this because it really is a serious eating disorder. Keep up the great work! 🙂