Orthorexia, the obsession with healthy food

What is orthorexia

It is part of the new dependencies, even if it is not yet recognized by the scientific community as a pathology : orthorheia makes its appearance in 1997, when the dietician Steve Bratman realizes he is suffering from it and decides to call this disorder "orthorexia nervosa". The term is of Greek origin, orthos means "correct" and orexis "appettito". In fact, the disorder presents an obsessive attention to food rules, from the choice of food to its characteristics . To find out if we are orthorhexics, Bratman himself formulated a test questionnaire and wrote a text entitled Health food junkies, which can be translated as "Healthy food addicts".

A dark obsession with healthy food

Yes, because the dependence that can exist is very subtle. It may be due to a fear, such as not having a completely healthy, pure and "clean" organism, not being in shape, or not being in perfect health. The nervous system, the state of mind, the psyche suffer and suffer from it. Different levels of orthorexia are proposed, starting from milder and transient forms up to almost maniacal situations. Indeed, Bratman explains that there is also an obscure form of orthorexia, which can lead to death . These forms have not yet been canonized in clinical terms. What is certain is that this pseudo-pathology also has repercussions in everyday life. As in all the addictions that cause anxiety states, the serenity in having social relationships is affected, we tend to isolate themselves in their own lifestyle governed by precise and unavoidable dietary rules. If you "sgarra" you are sick; pleasure in food and conviviality is lost; this can cause malnutrition, fatigue, loss of energy and frustration. Relationships, even those of a couple, are affected.

Be careful not to be confused!

As stated on his website, the dietician Bratman on his site " I never said that vegetarianism, veganism or any other approach to healthy eating is consequently an eating disorder ! Furthermore, I completely agree that the problem of junk food addiction is much more serious than excessive obsession with healthy food. But it is also true that obesity is much more common than anorexia. Just because eating garbage is much more common than obsession with healthy food does not mean that it cannot be a problem. For some people it really is. "In fact, food choice does not directly mean balance or imbalance. Those who follow a vegan diet can be in perfect shape and health, like those who adopt other types of diets. It is all about knowing each other well, caring for oneself and being aware of what one is eating, without obsessing about it. Indeed, orthorhexics tend to program food to eat the day before. In front of the shelf he checks everything maniacally: from the ecological packaging, to the origin of the food, to the characteristics in percentages. And you can use certain apps on your mobile to plan everything in numbers. Opening the parenthesis to another new dependency, the one from the applications of the mobile, in fact!

Note: In Italy the centers that deal with eating disorders and dealing with the subject are the DCA Palazzo Francisci Center in Todi, the various AIDAP Centers (Italian Association for Food and Weight Loss Disorders) and the Free Association of Disorders food in Livorno, among others.