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http://quiteverything.net/warning-signs-of-orthorexia - Have you ever assumed that healthy eating can be dangerous? That it can turn into an obsession, capable of making your life miserable? I haven’t until recently when I learned about Orthorexia. This is an eating disorder, that includes symptoms of an obsession with eating healthy food and avoiding “unhealthy” foods. In other words, this is an addiction toward dieting.<br>
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The Warning Signs of Orthorexia
Have you ever assumed that healthy eating can be dangerous? That it can turn into an obsession, capable of making your life miserable? I haven’t until recently when I learned about Orthorexia. This is an eating disorder, that includes symptoms of an obsession with eating healthy food and avoiding “unhealthy” foods. In other words, this is an addiction toward dieting. The term Orthorexia was introduced in 1996 by American physician Steven Bratman, M.D. It’s a new type of addiction caused by the growing health obsession in our society. Now, I don’t find living healthy bad but when the person is unable to function properly, just because of his/her lifestyle choice, then it becomes a problem. Orthorexia is an eating disorder just like Anorexia and Bulimia. The only difference is that, unlike Anorexia, where food intake is restricted, or Bulimia, where food binges are followed by some form of purging, Orthorexia involves an intense compulsion to stick
to a single way of eating food; always thinking and behaving around food. That doesn’t mean that this eating disorder is not as devastating as the other two. However, it has not been recognized as a mental disorder by the American Psychiatric Association and there is little possibility for someone to become dependent on this type of obsession. But there is still a chance no matter how small it is. If you want to know if there is a risk that you could suffer from this eating disorder, I’ve listed some warning signs and symptoms of Orthorexia here.
1. Health Concerns This is probably the biggest warning sign. Almost all of the people that are obsessed with healthy eating are reporting an extreme concern about their health. Most importantly the quality of food they eat. “If I eat this chocolate bar, I’m punishing my body and I will develop some kind of disease!” This is just some of the stuff that goes through the mind of a person suffering from Orthorexia. Those people are overly concerned about which type of food is ‘healthy’ and which one might ‘kill them’. They don’t want to hear about healthy fats or sugars. They are constantly alert about their meals and snacks and this becomes exhausting and self- absorbing. It can damage your mental health. You will see ordinary food as scary and life- threatening. It’s obsessing and can’t be stopped easily. Your entire mindset is shifted to the idea that there are foods that will harm you. 2. Supplements
It’s not only the situation where people believe that some foods are dangerous, they also tend to believe that there are extremely beneficial ones out there. And I am not only talking about food; I’m talking about herbal remedies, supplements, and probiotics. Now, I’m not completely against all of this and taking supplements or herbs doesn’t make you addicted to healthy eating. But if you are obsessed with what your next supplement should be and you strongly believe that you’ll feel superhuman because you take Omega 3’s then, yes, you are probably at risk of developing this eating disorder. Supplements and herbs are great. There are many great supplements out there that are beneficial to people suffering from different addictions. However, everything regarding taking supplements should be done in moderation. You just can’t take 20 different supplements every morning and think that this is normal. 3. Weight loss
This warning sign is very obvious. By restricting themselves from all the healthy fats (because let’s face it, even junk food have some kind of benefits for the body, if they are consumed in small amounts) these people have drastically reduced their weight. They don’t look great or fit by any means. They look tired and weak. This food disorder has made them unhealthy and unattractive; not that attraction is very important in this case but if the person was healthy and good looking before Orthorexia, once he/she became addicted to dieting, he/she will lose his healthy looks. I don’t want to offend anyone but if you’re suffering from Orthorexia you will look like ‘the walking dead’. I just want to provide you with an explanation of exactly how this eating disorder affects people and why it’s important to maintain a healthy weight. As I’ve said, weight is a major red flag. If you’re skinny, but not in a healthy way, it means that you aren’t giving your body the nutrients it deserves and needs. To read the full article, click on the image below!!!
