Orthorexia

Ever heard of orthorexia? Neither had we, but it may very well be coming to a rehab near you in 2011. Orthorexia nervosa, defined as “an unhealthy obsession with eating healthy food” is on the rise as consumers become increasingly bombarded with an overwhelming variety of often conflicting health claims. For many it begins with a fad diet. Then they cut out meat. Then dairy. Then gluten. Then sugar. Then berries because of possible pesticide residue. Then spinach because they once read it was contaminated with e. coli. You get the idea. The disorder begins as a perfectly, well, healthy interest in healthy eating but then morphs into drastic weight loss, malnutrition, and an obsessive aversion of many common foods, often causing the sufferer to isolate themselves by way of refusing to dine out or attend gatherings for fear that they will be unable to eat anything. Experts claim that one in ten women and one in 20 men are affected.

Orthorexia was coined by Steven Bratman in 1996 and is not a medically recognized term. The term does not purport vegetarianism or veganism to be a disorder. [Daily Mail UK] [Orthorexia]