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Orthorexia nervosa: Obsessing over good eating - Tribe Live
When does one’s concern for proper nutrition turn into a pathological condition? When the desire to eat a healthful diet turns into an unhealthy obsession, say experts. Mental health experts call it “orthorexia nervosa” which literally means “proper appetite … carried to the extreme.”
Hey, we all get a little crazy about food at times, right? I went through my share of rigid eating habits in my younger years. Orthorexia is rigid eating on steroids. Not to be confused with anorexia or bulimia which focus on the quantity of food eaten, those with orthorexia focus on the quality of food eaten. Eating becomes a ritual. And any food believed to be unhealthy or impure is rigidly avoided. In this desire to achieve a perfect diet, many end up with nutritional deficiencies, medical complications and not much fun in their lives. That’s why some have described orthorexia as “a disease disguised as a virtue.”
When does one’s concern for proper nutrition turn into a pathological condition? When the desire to eat a healthful diet turns into an unhealthy obsession, say experts. Mental health experts call it “orthorexia nervosa” which literally means “proper appetite … carried to the extreme.”
Hey, we all get a little crazy about food at times, right? I went through my share of rigid eating habits in my younger years. Orthorexia is rigid eating on steroids. Not to be confused with anorexia or bulimia which focus on the quantity of food eaten, those with orthorexia focus on the quality of food eaten. Eating becomes a ritual. And any food believed to be unhealthy or impure is rigidly avoided. In this desire to achieve a perfect diet, many end up with nutritional deficiencies, medical complications and not much fun in their lives. That’s why some have described orthorexia as “a disease disguised as a virtue.”