The orthorexia Nervosa was described not long ago by Steven Bratman in 1997. It is characterized by the pathological obsession with biologically pure food, leading to significant dietary restrictions.
People who suffer from it exclude from their diet foods that they consider impure because they contain herbicides, pesticides or other artificial substances, following a strict diet, sometimes with a lack of essential nutrients. Normally, they refuse to eat outside the home, because they do not trust the preparation of the food.
This excessive concern about food usually begins in people who want to lose weight, want to improve their health or treat an illness. It can also be given to vegetarians and vegans. But in the end, diet becomes the center of your life.
Unlike people with anorexia or bulimia, who worry about the quantity of food or their physical appearance, people with orthorexia worry more about the quality of food.
How do I know if I have orthorexia?
- Spend more than 3 hours a day thinking about your healthy diet.
- Worry more about the quality of food than the pleasure of consuming it.
- Decrease in their quality of life, as the quality of their diet decreases.
- Feelings of guilt when you don't follow your dietary convictions.
- Excessive planning of what to eat the next day.
- Social isolation caused by their type of diet.
Excessive concern about eating healthy has negative consequences on a person's health, both physically and psychologically. By restricting the number of foods allowed, the daily menu becomes a problem, which must be planned and prepared in advance.
As with other restrictive eating behaviors, people concerned about eating healthy may suffer some consequences that directly affect their health.
In addition, a feeling of guilt may appear if they ever break their own rules. Obsessive-compulsive disorders related to eating, depression or anxiety may also appear. On the other hand, the physical consequences are the same as those of an inadequate diet, such as:
- Malnutrition
- Anemias
- Hypervitaminosis (excessive accumulation of a vitamin) or hypovitaminosis (deficiency in the amount of vitamins)
- Mineral deficiencies
- Hypotension (low blood pressure)
- Osteoporosis
- weakened immune system
You already know that we should not become obsessed with wanting to lose weight or limit the intake of certain foods, because the only thing we achieve is putting our health at risk.
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