Healthy eating can help people maintain a healthy weight, ward off diseases and boost energy.<\/p>\n
Experts are increasingly looking at a disorder known as orthorexia, or an obsession with healthy eating, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n
Orthorexia is not recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatric Disorders, but experts say its becoming more common.<\/p>\n
Orthorexia starts out as a focus on healthy eating, but morphs into an unhealthy fixation on food quality.<\/p>\n
The focus on food quality sets orthorexia apart fromeating disorderssuch as anorexia and bulimia, which tend to have more of a focus on quantity of food consumed.<\/p>\n
While it begins as a healthy trend, those withorthorexiacan become so restrictive in their choice of food that it can lead to nutritional deficiencies and lowered quality of life.<\/p>\n
People with orthorexia can get frustrated when their eating plan is thwarted, feel guilt and self-loathing when they go off their strict schedule, and spend a significant amount of time planning meals and researching food.<\/p>\n
Watch for thesewarning signsof orthorexia:<\/p>\n
Compulsive checking of ingredient lists and nutritional labels<\/p>\n
An increase in concern about the health of ingredients<\/p>\n
Cutting out an increasing number of food groups (all sugar, all carbs, all dairy, all meat, all animal products)<\/p>\n
An inability to eat anything but a narrow group of foods that are deemed \"healthy\" or \"pure\"<\/p>\n
Unusual interest in the health of what others are eating Spending hours per day thinking about what food might be served at upcoming events<\/p>\n
Showing high levels of distress when \"safe\" or \"healthy\" foods arent available<\/p>\n
Obsessive following of food and \"healthy lifestyle\" blogs on Twitter and Instagram Body image concerns may or may not be present<\/p>\n
Social media and the clean eating trend can push people toward orthorexia.<\/p>\n
Its a difficult-to-diagnose disorder, as those with it appear to be living a healthy lifestyle. Some with orthorexia focus on eating only organic foods.<\/p>\n
Some eliminate all sugar, fat and salt. Often the person eats an increasingly restrictive diet.<\/p>\n
A combination of therapy and education can help people recover from orthorexia.<\/p>\n
For instance Linden Oaks Behavioral Health provides group therapy, individual\/family therapy, nutrition education and exercise counseling to help individuals address complex psychological issues while treating physical and dietary needs.<\/p>\n
For more information, visit EEHealth.org\/services\/behavioral-health.<\/p>\n
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\nWhen healthy eating becomes unhealthy: orthorexia | The Herald-News - The Herald-News<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"