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?
This is such a great post and something that as a food blogger, I find extremely interesting and a great reminder to always find balance in eating.
Also, I made pancake roll-ups today for the artisan giveaway!! Here’s the link!
I can probably say that I do sometimes choose what I’m going to eat based off the nutritional value–not all the time, just sometimes. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that! It’s when you start to only eat things because of their nutrition value all the time that it might be a warning sign!!!
<3 jess
xoxo
Hi Katie, I enjoyed this post just as much as the 80+ others.
I did want to point out that it might not be accurate to say “Unlike with anorexia, orthorexics don’t necessarily think they’re fat.” As I understand it, anorexia (in many ways very similarly to orthorexia) is largely a mental disorder, not stemming from a feeling of fatness or a desire to be thin. In short, many anorexics also do not think they’re fat.
I love this post and think it was very well said. But I just want to second what Caitlin said in that in all the years I had anorexia, I knew I was thin and never thought I was too fat. It was never about looking fat for me.
But your post is still awesome girl!
Great post Katie. Although I am not orthorexic and don’t really know anyone who is, I was still riveted while reading this. And even though I’m not orthorexic, I still am glad for the reminder that life is short and therefore we need to stress less about silly things. Most of us reading probably don’t have orthorexia, but we DO have too much stress!!!
Jessica,
Awww thank you! I’m sure you are just as awesome. In fact, I KNOW you’re just as awesome, because you’re sweet enough to take the time to leave such a nice comment 🙂
When I began to eat high-full raw, I noticed that I had a lot of those characteristics. I still think that I have some of those characteristics, but I think I also have a negative body image still. I was suffering with anorexia nervosa about a year ago and now I feel that I am going back to that. I am trying not to, but it’s so hard sometimes. I am, however, doing a lot better than I was a year ago at around 100 lbs. and only consuming 900 calories a day at most. I don’t even know how I went on with my day to day life, kept my grades up, and stayed physically active.
Thanks for this post. I am looking for any little thing like this to help me with my disordered eating.
I’ve been reading up on orthorexia for years now, out of fear that I had replaced anorexia with orthorexia. However, I don’t think I can call myself truly orthorexic in that I clearly enjoy my food, and I don’t strive to cut foods out. I think I just like to have as nutritious of a diet as possible, without sacrificing taste:)
Beautifully written post Katie. You have such a talent; thank you for sharing it with us!
Great post. This is really a hot topic now. Great timing of course with NEDA going on. And March is National Nutrition Month, which is awesome fun. This years theme is from the ground up and I hope to do a vegetarian cooking class, but I think I am running out of time for planning.
Great post! I’ve seen some disordered tendencies in myself as well, but I also enjoy food way too much to ever treat it in this way. Sure, most of the food I eat is for fuel, but I always make sure it’s something I at least like if not love! And you can pry my potatoes and rice noodles away from my cold dead hands.
This is an awesome post! I am so “starring” this in my reader.
In the past I’ve kind of dismissed orthorexia as just another label. But as your post outlines, I think the problem isn’t so much with eating healthy food, vegan food, organic food, or less-processed food…but the problem is with obsessive behaviors. NOTHING is good if it’s done to the extreme or becomes a compulsion. Food is meant to be enjoyable, and life is to short to stress over everything. I love how you point out that health isn’t just about food and fitness. It is so easy for me to forget that it also has a lot to do with our minds and our thoughts–which can sometimes be more difficult to change than our food or exercise choices.
Well, I think you already know how superior I think a vegan diet is! I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t think it was the best diet for me, the animals, and our planet! So heck yes, check me off for feeling superior.
BUT, my diet is way too complex and varied for me to fit into any of the categories. Do I love having a green smoothie for breakfast? Yes. But do I look down on people who have sugar puffs? As long as it is vegan, no. Because I typically follow up my breakfast with a big slice of my latest dessert!
Food does NOT equate goodness or anything like that. I eat healthy 90% of the time because I want to feel GREAT, not because I want to feel better than everyone else. Life is too short to say no to delicious food, even if it isn’t organic and contains more than a little sugar.
The reason I exclude veganism is because I’m an ethical vegan. It doesn’t have to do with health, it has to do with not murdering animals. That definitely will change my view of a person.
Great post! I feel like when I began recovering from an ED I had some orthorexic tendencies. I’m fully recovered now and am so happy that I’ve found the perfect balance for me. I eat healthfully but still understand that food is not only fuel but it’s enjoyment and a way to connect with other people too!
I’ll be the first to admit that I have orthorexic tendencies, but I can’t help myself after losing weight. If I don’t stick to whole foods with little sugar 99% of the time, I gain weight super easily, and I never want to be overweight again. So, my fears do keep me from eating many foods that I used to enjoy. However, I feel like I’ve replaced those foods (pizza, ice-cream, candy, soda, etc.) with foods that are good for me that I never ate before, and that I truly enjoy. I had never touched a roasted Brussel sprout or broccoli floret before I lost weight. Now, I can’t imagine life without them. So, I pass up on the Ben & Jerry’s. No big deal…especially since I discovered So Delicious coconut milk ice-cream. 🙂 Healthy foods make me happy and for me, it’s the sugar-laden and processed foods that cause me stress. Therefore, I stay away from them, and my mind, body, and soul are happy. That does not sound disordered to me.
Good post Katie. Very thought provoking.
i definitely have some orthorexia tendencies, but i do enjoy the food that i eat! (so i guess that disqualifies me from about half of the “symptoms”)
i care a lot about the ingredient list on foods (no HFCS, trans fats, or weird chemicals), where my eggs and meat come from, and if my produce is organic or not. i look down on foods that don’t meet my standards, and i think most people should care more about what they eat. however, it is pretty impossible to eat perfectly 100% of the time and no one should freak out if they eat something “wrong.”
but i just realized, when i do indulge, i sometimes have very specific food rules for that, too. i will eat good quality dark chocolate or homemade desserts, but i will judge someone eating a McDonald’s hamburger (why would you even want to eat that? sketchy beef, sad white bun, doesn’t taste that good…). i think that is more being a food snob than orthorexic though 🙂