- People develop orthorexia when people are stuck on a healthy diet that disrupts their quality of life.
- Common symptoms of orthorexia include obsessive compulsive nutrition labeling, labeling foods as “good” or “bad”, and not eating at rest.
- Orthoraxia can be treated with therapy and nutritional advice.
- This article was medically reviewed by Alyssa Ruby Bash, a family therapist licensed in Malibu, California, LCF, LCF.
- Visit the Inner Health Reference Library for more advice.
Orthoraxia is an eating disorder characterized by an unhealthy obsession with a healthy diet.
It often involves limiting certain food groups and emphasizing a “clean diet” where it interferes with quality of life.
It is difficult to estimate how many people have orthorexia as there are currently no formal formal diagnostic criteria.
Symptoms All you need to know about thoraxia is how it is treated, from the common symptoms.
What is orthorexia?
People develop orthorexia when they are forced to adhere to a “healthy diet.” While deciding to create a healthy lifestyle is not bad, people with orthorexia find their eating compulsive and complicated.
Meghan Windham, a registered dietitian at the University of Texas A&M, said that unlike other eating disorders, orthorexia is not usually triggered by weight concerns or body image issues.
Throathexia often begins because a person wants to improve their overall health by controlling the amount of food they eat. For many, this means turning to a diet that restricts certain food groups or promotes specific eating habits. Windham says following this type of diet can quickly become obsessive, even if they don’t start that way.
People with orthorexia are concerned about the quality of the food they eat rather than the amount of food they eat. Individuals with orthorexia may have variations in food anxiety. For example, some may restrict major food groups – such as dairy or gluten – while others may freeze only with the consumption of raw foods.
Orthoraxia by DSM-5 is not considered an official mental health condition – the manual used to diagnose mental illness. One reason for this is because the symptoms of orthorexia overlap with other conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, anorexia and other preventable / restrictive food intake disorders (ARFIDS).
If left untreated, orthorexia can progress and lead to mental and physical health consequences and can even take the form of other eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia, said DSC, RD, a health department associate. Says Professor and Chair Paula Quattromoni. Science at Boston University.
Signs that you may have orthorexia
Like most eating disorders, the signs and symptoms of orthorexia are mental, behavioral, and physical. Orthoraxia presents differently in individuals, so symptoms may vary from person to person.
Psychological symptoms
The mental or emotional symptoms of orthorexia are similar to other eating disorders and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). These include:
- Impaired memory
- Anxiety
- Intrusive thoughts
- Rigid thinking
- Perfectionism
Behavioral traits
Behavioral symptoms are some of the earliest signs of eating disorders. According to Windham, people with orthorexia include:
- Curiously check the nutrition labels on the food
- There is a need to look at the menu at Rest Restaurant Rent before agreeing to dine there
- Avoid going out to dinner or avoiding other people cooking for you
- Eating before or after social events included with food
- Using language like “I can’t eat it” or “I’m afraid to eat it” indicates the danger of certain foods.
Physical symptoms
People with orthorexia have an increased risk of micronutrient deficiencies because they restrict certain food groups. This can lead to physical symptoms if the deficiency is not treated.
People with orthorexia and its corresponding physical symptoms have some common micronutrient deficiencies.
This obsessive and compulsive behavior around food can disrupt a person’s social life. “Some people find it easier to go to a comfortable home than to socialize to have complete control over their food environment, which quickly becomes a different way of life,” says Quattromoni.
Early warning signs of orthorexia
When someone needs help early in orthorexia it is important to try to identify it later instead. “The longer a person stays in the trenches, the greater the health risks, and the greater the recovery path,” says Quattromoni.
It’s hard to tell if someone has orthorexia just because they’re a healthy eater. While a healthier diet advances in orthorexia, Windham says, “your food intake is governed by stricter rules than daily choices.”
Here are some indications that someone is developing orthorexia, according to Quatromo:
- They assign moral values to food, as if it were “good” or “bad”.
- They avoid large food groups such as carbohydrates, dairy or sweets.
- They participate in obscure diets such as intermittent fasting or ketogenic diets.
Early identification and intervention can help people with this disorder achieve the best possible results in recovery.
Lure Ren Smoller, program director for the National Eating Disorders Association, says that if you’re worried that anyone you know may experience these symptoms, here’s a little advice on how to contact them about your concerns.
- Talk to them non-confrontationally and decisively
- Avoid special behaviors that you are concerned about
- Encourage them to get help when they are ready to do so
- Be supportive when they need help
Risk factors and causes of orthorexia
“Often the symptoms we see in people with thyroidxia are an extension of the underlying mental conditions or they are exacerbated by mental stress,” says Quetromoni.
There are a number of factors that put some people at higher risk of developing orthorexia. These include:
- Other mental health conditions Anxiety disorders, such as OCD and depression.
- Stressful life events Such as getting a divorce, losing a job, or starting a college. People can use strict eating habits to gain a sense of control in their lives and cope with uncontrollable situations, says Katromani.
- Athletes The risk is because they always use the diet as a diet to improve their performance or change their body composition which makes them particularly susceptible to the development of orthorexia.
Treatment options for orthorexia
Orthorexia is treated with a combination of nutritional advice and therapy. “It’s important to work with a dietitian to correct nutritional deficiencies and restore physical health, as well as a mental health professional to treat the mental side of this disorder,” says Quattromoni.
“Nutrition counseling can help people with orthorexia re-learn how a healthy plate looks,” says Windham. Nutrition counseling is education based and can help people with orthorexia re-incorporate food groups that they are afraid of and understand the benefits of different diets.
Meanwhile, therapy can help people with orthorexia understand the underlying mental health issues and stressors who may be running their strict eating behaviors. If people are also suffering from anxiety or OCD, medication may be prescribed to treat those conditions.
Read more about finding the best treatment options for eating disorders.
Bottom line
If you are concerned that your healthy eating habits have become disordered or your lifestyle has begun to deteriorate, you should seek the help of a dietitian, physician, or contact the National Dietary Disorders Helpline. “Even if you don’t meet any official diagnostic criteria, you still deserve care to help you deal with concerns about your behavior,” says Smaller.
