The “Healthy” Eating Disorder

It is possible to eat too healthy. But by that point, your diet isn’t really healthy it’s just restrictive. More and more people are adopting what they consider a healthier lifestyle and that includes overhauling their diet. Under most circumstances, that’s great; but not when it takes control of your life.

At first, it might be eliminating sugar. Then, the carbohydrates go. Next, after some internet research and scare tactic blogs, you decide gluten is the devil. You learn if you don’t eat organic produce, you won’t get the vitamins and minerals you need. And that dairy causes a long list of health problems. Please realize that a lot of what's written out there is biased information, without any scientific backing. Before making a health decision check to see who did the studies, how many people participated, and for how long.

But that won’t stop some of us from overhauling our diet to a dangerous degree. Orthorexia is an unhealthy obsession with eating foods in their least processed most natural state. These people are obsessed with the quality of their food to the point where it overtakes their lives and effects relationships with those around them. In the next couple years, there is possibility the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders will recognize Orthorexia. The Eating Disorders Coalition wants this little known condition to have its own entry when the next manual is released in 2013.

People who develop this obsession start out on a mission to clean up their diet, or simply eat healthier. You may start with the Gluten free diet or Paleo diet. But because there is so much conflicting information over which is best, people start to eliminate entire groups of food, fearing that their diet is not healthy enough. People with Orthorexia actually have good intentions. They want to prevent disease, and treat their body well. But without realizing it they can cause serious harm caused by vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Vitamin K, Calcium, B12, and Magnesium are just a few that serve important roles in the body. Low levels have complications that mimic serious illness.

In the case of this obsession, you will find yourself driving 50 miles out of your way to the store that carries gluten free bread because you believe gluten is damaging your body. Regular store bought bread is too processed for your healthy lifestyle. But take a look at the ingredients. The list is just as long as the Wonder Bread your mother still buys. And, most of these breads are sweetened with fruit juice and are calorically dense. 

If you find yourself sitting down to a home cooked hamburger with friends and just can’t enjoy it because the beef is not free range, all organic... you probably have a problem. You may love a burger off the grill. And this one may even taste good, but you are so racked with guilt by eating it, that it drives you crazy.

The truth is if you’re looking to improve health, almost any diet will work IF you follow it. Look at all the celebrities that drop more than 50 pounds using a pre-packaged meal system. Most of those products are highly processed. And don’t forget the professor who just ate junk food to lose weight. There are also meal replacement plans that require you eat powdered foods. It may be processed, but these physician back plans are highly successful in helping people drop tens of hundreds of pounds. 

Any reduction in weight is going to have a profound impact on your health. You’ll be able to move more, breathe easier, reduce your risk for several diseases, potentially bring your cholesterol down, and ward off diabetes.

For those more interested in a sugar free/dairy free/gluten free diet to cure disease or stop pain, testimonials from others are intriguing and convincing. But something must be said for the powers of the mind. 

People have even tried to convince me that going gluten free cured their back pain. But the placebo effect has been documented for a long time in the medical literature. When the placebo comes on top, that’s a good indication your outlook changed the way you feel, not the supplement (or in this case miracle diet). You may not even notice your mind at work, but it happens all the time. When you are having a good day, things are going your way, or something positive happens you rarely notice your pain. It’s usually when you sit brooding over something when you feel so tired or your back hurts so much or your headache is so bad.

People who develop Orthorexia tend to have controlling personalities. They are usually competitive, too. They get a high from controlling their diet and being a healthier eater than others. It can happen so someone of any age, sex, or race but seems to happen more frequently in middle aged women. 

If you want to make changes to your diet (for whatever reason), seek out a registered dietician’s help in planning your menu. You may also want to have a couple counseling sessions with a mental health professional to make sure you are being rational in your decision making surrounding food. Finally, listen to feedback from family and friends. If everyone is worried about you, there is probably a reason. It’s hard to be a true judge of your own behaviors.