Today for Myth Monday I’m touching on topic a little less unheard of, but nonetheless, still an important topic. So to jump right into it, the question is:
Is there a such thing as eating too healthy?
At first thought, one would say a big, fat NO. That seems absurd! You can never eat too many fruits and vegetables! Especially in this day and age where America is battling an obesity epidemic, you would think the more healthy eating, the better….right?! Well, the answer may not be so clear cut. If one becomes so focused on healthy eating that it consumes their entire thoughts, weighing on their mind day and night and influencing their every action then no, it is not healthy.
Orthorexia: A Disordered Eating Pattern
Orthorexia is a term coined by Steven Bratman, MD in 1996. It was not meant as a diagnosis; instead, he used it to help his patients entertain the possibility that this “healthy” eating may not be as beneficial as they presumed. Over time, however, he came to understand that the term identifies a genuine eating problem. It is not an officially recognized disorder in the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), but is similar to other eating disorders – those with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa obsess about calories (the quantity of what they eat) and weight while orthorexics obsess about healthy eating (the quality of what they eat), not necessarily about being “thin” and losing weight.
Many people with orthorexia limit their diet so much that it can actually be unhealthy, leading to nutritional deficits specific to the diet they have established for themselves. However, nutritional issues may not always be obvious to them or those around them. What may be more apparent are the social problems that start to arise. Orthorexics may isolate themselves from others, often because they plan their life around food. Food is a social thing, and being in a situation where they are not in complete control of the food and what they are eating, especially if it doesn’t fit within their specific diet, can be a scary situation for an orthorexic – causing anxiety and unease. Avoiding the situation, and in turn the people, altogether becomes the solution to sticking to their perfect, clean diet.
Someone suffering from orthorexia has lost the ability to eat intuitively – to know when they are truly hungry and when they are satisfied, or full. Rather than eating mindfully and enjoying the food they eat, they are setting themselves up for diet failure, resulting in a feelings of shame and guilt. Perfect eating is not realistic. No one can, or should, eat perfect 100% of the time. I like to follow the 80/20 rule. As long as I’m eating healthy foods and meals 80% of the time, I allow myself to eat whatever else I want the remaining 20% of the time. Sometimes it is a cookie, other times it might be more fruits and veg. It’s up to me to decide what I want and will enjoy. With orthorexia, that healthy relationship with food has been lost.
How Do You Know When Healthy Eating Has Gone Too Far?
Orthorexia usually starts out with good intentions of wanting to eat healthier, but then is taken to the extreme. I like to look at eating on a pendulum. On one side is the obsession of eating pure, clean and healthy. On the other side is the opposite – not caring about eating healthfully at all and consuming mainly food that is considered unhealthy. Instead of being only at one end or the other of the pendulum, try to stay somewhere in the middle. This is sometimes (or a lot of times) easier said than done, though. To know if you have swung to the end of obsessing over healthy eating may not be so apparent at first, but there are some questions you can ask yourself to help identify if you are struggling with orthorexia or not. The following questions are from the The National Eating Disorders Association website. The more questions you respond “yes” to, the more likely you are dealing with orthorexia.
- Do you wish that occasionally you could just eat and not worry about food quality?
- Do you ever wish you could spend less time on food and more time living and loving?
- Does it seem beyond your ability to eat a meal prepared with love by someone else – one single meal – and not try to control what is served?
- Are you constantly looking for ways foods are unhealthy for you?
- Do love, joy, play and creativity take a back seat to following the perfect diet?
- Do you feel guilt or self-loathing when you stray from your healthy diet?
- Do you feel in control when you stick to the “correct” diet?
- Have you put yourself on a nutritional pedestal and wonder how others can possibly eat the foods they eat?
Is there such a thing as eating too healthy? Learn more about #orthorexia Share on X
Swinging Back to the Middle of the Pendulum
Orthorexia is a disordered eating pattern that can have serious mental and physical health consequences if left untreated. The good news is, there IS help out there! Getting treatment from a therapist, even for 1 visit can help set your pendulum swinging back towards the middle. Finding professionals who specialize in eating disorders can be very beneficial, even essential, to helping orthorexics on the road to recovery.
Orthorexics often know a lot about food and nutrition, but it is not always accurate information. Sometimes their sources may be magazines, blogs, or TV shows that are not reliable. Seeking out real food and nutrition experts, such as registered dietitian nutritionists, can help separate the nutrition facts from the fiction and help those struggling come to truly enjoy food again.
If you are suffering from orthorexia, know that it is possible to have a healthy relationship with food again. Food will be a part of your life, but not the center of your life. You don’t have to feel guilty about straying from your diet. Your thoughts can be of things other than food. What you’re eating tomorrow or the next day doesn’t always have to be planned out to the T. And finally, social situations will no longer be spent in feelings of anxiety and panic but, instead, of pleasure and happiness with people you know and love.
References:
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/orthorexia-nervosa
- Lunch Ideas for Busy Moms - July 10, 2024
- Why Sharing Mealtime Responsibility with Your Kids is a Game-Changer - June 20, 2024
- 10 Best Bedtime Snacks for Kids - June 5, 2024
