Orthorexia Nervosa: When Does a Healthy Lifestyle Become Unhealthy?
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Leesduur: 4 min
Orthorexia nervosa , an eating disorder focused on obsessive healthy eating, is a growing problem among people actively working on their health. In the quest for a healthy lifestyle, we can sometimes unintentionally descend into an eating disorder.
This article explains how a healthy lifestyle can turn into an eating disorder and what you can do about it.
Orthorexia nervosa is an eating disorder in which an obsessive focus on healthy eating leads to social isolation, nutritional deficiencies, and psychological distress.
Social media and obsessive health goals can contribute to orthorexia, where flexibility is lacking and eating habits become extremely controlled.
Early recognition and professional help are crucial, as orthorexia is often progressive and accompanied by anxiety, depression and physical complaints.
What is Orthorexia Nervosa?
Orthorexia nervosa is an eating disorder in which someone is obsessed with eating foods they perceive as healthy. People with orthorexia place excessive demands on the quality of their diet and avoid foods they consider unhealthy.
Pursuing a healthy lifestyle becomes dangerous with orthorexia when it leads to social isolation, nutritional deficiencies, and psychological distress.
Orthorexia nervosa is a relatively new concept in the world of eating disorders. Although first described in the 1990s, it has only gained wider recognition in recent years.
How can a healthy lifestyle turn into an eating disorder?
A healthy lifestyle can lead to the development of an eating disorder in several ways. For example, obsessive health goals often arise, with little room for flexibility. Furthermore, with the rise of social media, there's an increasing emphasis on the "perfect" healthy lifestyle.
1. Obsessive health goals
People who are actively working on their health often set goals to lose weight, build muscle, or simply feel better. These goals aren't inherently problematic. After all, it's actually good to take care of your own body and mind.
However, when these goals are pursued obsessively without room for flexibility, it can lead to orthorexia and other eating disorders.
Recent studies show that the number of people pursuing obsessive health goals is rising. This means that the risk of developing eating disorders is also increasing for many people.
2. Social pressure and media influences
The rise of social media has intensified the pressure to achieve a "perfect" healthy lifestyle. Constant exposure to photoshopped images of fitness experts and influencers can lead to a distorted self-image and unrealistic expectations.
This contributes to the development of eating disorders in people who desperately try to meet these ideals, as the NTR series "Niet Gezond Meer" also shows.
Symptoms of orthorexia nervosa
You can recognize orthorexia nervosa by the following symptoms:
- Obsession - You have an obsessive focus on eating "healthy" foods
- Restrict - You increasingly limit more types of food and exclude entire food groups.
- Anxiety - You have an intense anxiety surrounding certain foods and the quality of foods.
- Avoidance - You are constantly avoiding foods that are considered “unhealthy.”
- Physical complaints - You exhibit physical symptoms such as weight loss, fatigue, digestive problems and menstrual cycle disturbances (for women only).
- Isolation - You become socially isolated because you have difficulty participating in social activities that involve food.
- Avoidance - You are constantly avoiding foods that are considered “unhealthy.”
- Guilt - You experience severe guilt when you allow yourself to deviate from a strict diet.
It's important to understand that it's a small step from pursuing a healthy lifestyle to developing an eating disorder like orthorexia.
A healthy lifestyle includes eating nutritious food, exercising regularly, and taking care of your mental well-being. Avoid overly strict diets and allow yourself plenty of flexibility.
The term "orthorexia" is derived from the Greek words "ortho," meaning "right" or "correct," and "orexis," meaning "desire." It refers to the compulsive desire to eat the right and healthy foods.
Seek help in time
If you recognize yourself in the above symptoms, or know someone close to you who fits these characteristics, it's important to seek professional help. Eating disorders are often progressive conditions.
This means they only get worse on their own. Orthorexia nervosa can have serious physical and mental consequences, and often goes hand in hand with other mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression.
A specialized eating disorder clinic is the recommended option for treating orthorexia nervosa and other eating disorders.
Here you will find the necessary knowledge and expertise to help you unlearn abnormal eating behavior and learn new eating habits.
A specialized eating disorder clinic usually has a multidisciplinary team that can treat both the eating disorder itself and any underlying issues. This reduces the risk of relapse and accelerates the recovery process.
Don't lose yourself in perfection
Pursuing a healthy lifestyle is commendable, but it's vital to recognize the line between health and obsession. Orthorexia nervosa is a warning sign that too much emphasis on healthy eating can lead to an eating disorder.
Don't just strive for a healthy lifestyle, but for a balanced approach to healthy living. Positive health, as an initiative from Maastricht University calls it.
It's okay to indulge in a treat every now and then and not lose yourself in the quest for perfection.
Hein van Kuijck
Hein has a deep interest in the effects of nutrition, lifestyle, and nutritional supplements on the human body. He conducts extensive research on this topic and enjoys sharing his knowledge with others.
