5 minute read
When Healthy Becomes Unhealthy
There are many benefits to eating a healthy, well-rounded diet. Ideally this means a variety of foods but also flexibility to allow for changes in what you might typically eat, like enjoying cake at a celebration. So, when does “eating healthy” become unhealthy?
Eating healthy doesn’t just mean types of food but also learning to eat without shame, guilt, or self-sabotaging behaviors. Restricting your diet to only “healthy” foods can severely limit the amount of food you eat. If, on top of that, your self-worth is tied directly to your ability to adhere to these limitations, there could be a reason for concern. Orthorexia is a term used to describe someone who has an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating. It came about in the mid-to-late 1990s and has been getting attention ever since. Initially, this can be really challenging to identify. We live in a culture that is constantly telling us to eat healthy, what the “good” and “bad” foods are, and how if we just work a little harder and gain some willpower, we, too, will be able to “just eat healthy.” Healthy is also disguised in a lot of different ways: cleanses; fasts; diets; detoxes; 7-day, 21-day, 30-day “fixes;” clean foods; raw foods and the list goes on. With all the pressure to subscribe to one or some of these (sometimes on a daily or weekly basis), it’s no wonder that we can start to feel guilty or shameful if we “can’t” do it. While orthorexia is not currently in the DSM-5, many professionals are aware of this disorder and can help you regain control over your thoughts and beliefs about food and eating. With an estimated 21-57.6%
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of the general population estimated to have eating behaviors that are consistent with signs of orthorexia, it’s important to understand what this disorder might look like and when to seek help.
BEHAVIORAL SIGNS OR SYMPTOMS : - An obsession with and no flexibility around the purity of foods: raw, organic, non GMO, etc… - Spending an excessive amount of time paying attention to nutrition labels and ingredients, often resulting in a refusal to eat out or eat something they did not prepare themselves - Being critical of other people’s eating habits - Feeling anxious, guilty, or shameful when unable to meet self-imposed food restrictions - Self-esteem is tied to their ability to stick to their diet plan - Cutting out entire food groups in the name of health
It’s important to note that orthorexia is not anorexia. Unlike with anorexia where there is an obsession about body image and losing weight, people with orthorexia are more concerned about being “healthy” and strictly limiting themselves in the name of needing to be or eat healthy. While orthorexia could lead to weight loss, it is not the intended goal. Many people living with orthorexia are known to their friends and family as the “healthy one,” “health conscious,” or even revered as seeming to have figured it all out! In reality, these people are suffering from malnutrition and from being debilitatingly rigid around food. They are spending an excruciating amount of time on trying to be in control of what they eat, leaving little energy for much else. If you have concerns about your dieting behaviors, know that it is not your fault. We are inundated with messages about being “healthy” all day long. Who are we NOT to be on a diet?! It seems like there’s always a food group we should be eliminating, a life-threatening ingredient we have to search for and swear off, or a certain number of grams of something that we have to stay under. What if healthy eating was eating in a way that allowed us to do the things we wanted to do? You eat differently if you’re pregnant or training for a marathon than if you’re going on walks in the evening or on vacation. What if we made decisions about what to eat, when to eat, and how to eat based on what our body tells us instead of an alert on our phones? You can break free from the unhealthy and unmanageable restrictions of the diet world. Nutrition support, therapy, or a discussion with your doctor are good places to start. This can be hard to deal with on your own, but you can start with getting rid of everything diet related that you own: books, apps, videos, teas, pills, magazines, etc… as these offer false hope. Stop talking about diets with friends and family members, and respectfully bow out of conversations that other people start about their diets. Get mad at the industry and how much money, time, and energy you’ve spent on restricting yourself in the name of health. Recovery is possible. It’s done by taking one new bite at a time.
Emily Betros is a licensed clinical social worker, certified health coach, and owner of Reclaiming Health, LLC. She specializes in body image support, eating disorders, anxiety, life transitions, mindfulness, and women’s issues. More info: www.reclaiminghealth.net.
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