Orthorexia – when maintaining a healthy diet becomes an obsession.

Every day we hear that good food choices are the basis of health - and this is true. The popular search engine displays over 8.5 billion results for the term "healthy nutrition", in 2013 there were much fewer - only 227 million. The progress is stunning. We are to avoid processed products, dyes, preservatives and other food additives. A flood of various more or less reliable information reaches us and influences our choices. Sometimes we start caring too much about what we eat . In this situation, specialists may diagnose a disorder called " orthorexia ".

Where did the term "orthorexia" come from?

In 1997, the term orthorexia nervosa appeared , i.e. " pathological fixation on healthy eating ". The term was coined by an American physician, Steven Bratman, who personally experienced the morbid control of his eating. After years of a strict diet, he observed the negative impact of thoughts about food on many areas of his life and on social contacts. He also saw similar symptoms in many of his patients. This led to the proposal of a name for a new phenomenon - orthorexia.

Who is most at risk for orthorexia?

It is difficult to determine the exact number of people suffering from the disease. Data on the prevalence of the disease are very divergent, with estimates ranging between 6.9% - 57.6% of the population . This is due to the lack of clearly defined criteria for diagnosis and the fact that the disorder itself has not yet been included in disease classifications. The higher tendency to orthorexia seems to be related to the environment of people associated with health care . The second most at-risk group are vegetarians and vegans . However, as the duration of this diet increases, this fanaticism decreases.

Where is the line between dieting and orthorexia?

Orthorexia is a very specific eating disorder. The line between proper nutrition, the popular concern for healthy eating habits, and obsession with healthy eating is very easy to cross. Orthorexic behaviors include obsessive :

• avoiding certain foods or entire food groups,
• avoiding specific food processing methods - e.g. frying, baking,
• obsessive focus on the quality of products - consuming only bio or eco products,
• lack of pleasure from eating,
• excessive focus on meal planning, shopping and reading labels,
• avoiding eating meals prepared by others (restaurants, family events).

Departures from the imposed rules cause fear and guilt in the sick person. These behaviors have a direct impact on health . They can lead to anorexia, malnutrition, and disturb relationships with loved ones.

When all daily activities are subordinated to time-consuming, meticulous planning , purchasing and preparing meals, we are approaching or have already crossed the thin line of fixation on healthy eating .

Interestingly, social media, especially Instagram, may contribute to the development of orthorexia. As research has shown, systematic use of this channel and following accounts about healthy eating were associated with greater susceptibility to developing the disorder.

Orthorexia – how to cure this disorder?

Treatment for orthorexia should include individual or group psychotherapy . The goal is to develop an appropriate attitude towards food and reduce the feeling of fear of eating . If you suspect that you or a loved one may have orthorexia, it is worth consulting a psychologist or psychiatrist.

For dietitians, orthorexia poses a challenge. Although such patients have extensive knowledge of healthy eating, it is often full of errors because it comes from unreliable sources. The most important challenge is therefore the patient's nutritional education. Helping a person with orthorexia is not easy, so the support of loved ones is very important.

Bibliography:

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3. “Orthorexia nervosa: definitions, criteria, classifications - controversies and discrepancies in research results.” Nelkowska Dominika Dorota
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