Do you suffer from orthorexia nervosa?
If
the better part of your day is spent thinking whether you are eating right or
if your diet adds to your emotional well-being, you suffer from the
above-mentioned...
DID someone
say there’s no such thing as too healthy? Well, they were wrong. In the book
Health Food Junkies, Dr Steven Bratman says, “For some people, eating
‘correctly’ has become an equally harmful preoccupation, one that causes them
to adopt progressively more rigid diets that not only eliminate crucial
nutrients and food groups, but ultimately cost them their overall health,
personal relationships and emotional well-being.” Bratman is credited with
coining the term “orthorexia nervosa” — a disease in which people view their
diet as a way to feel clean and spiritual.
‘Healthy’ isn’t always a good word
A study conducted at the University of Rome reported that out of 400 students surveyed, nearly 7 per cent — more than the percentages of anorexic and bulimic students combined — suffered from orthorexia. “Orthorexia begins, innocently enough, as a desire to overcome chronic illness or to improve general health. Over time, these people start to blacklist certain foods. What to eat and how much, and the consequences of dietary imprudence come to occupy a greater proportion of their day,” says Bratman.
When orthorexics slip up or deviate from their diet — devour anything from a single piece of chocolate to a bowlfull of ice-cream or a pizza — they experience a fall from grace and feel guilty and shameful,” says nutritionist Dr Shraddha Gadit. “To make up for the binge, they perform numerous acts of repentance and self-punishment that involve over exercising and adhering to stricter diets and fasts,” she adds. It doesn’t take long for this behaviour to develop into a cycle.
In a way, the act of eating ‘pure’ food begins to carry pseudo-spiritual connotations. “After pregnancy, I was on crash diets and did strenuous exercising to lose weight. In the process, I did end up becoming slimmer, but I soon realised that I had become a health-food addict,” says Sonia Sharma, 33, teacher, who recently became aware of her obsession with food. People suffering from orthorexia often prefer to starve themselves rather than eat food they consider impure and harmful to their health. “My list of unacceptable foods lengthened and going hungry rather than eating something ‘unhealthy’ looked like a better option. I’d stand up on the weighing machine every time I’d eat something, which drove me crazy,” she says.
Social isolation
Apart from affecting your health and mental well-being, orthorexia causes dysfunction in your social life. “People who are constantly concerned about what they eat, plan their life around their diet. They shop at organic food stores and avoid eating at restaurants because they are always worried about how the food is cooked and the quality of ingredients used in cooking,” says nutritionist Neelanjana Singh. Since they only prefer eating homemade food, they decline the opportunity to meet friends and family while, in some cases, people avoid inviting them to parties and social gatherings with the fear of ‘eating right and healthy’ becoming a dominating topic of conversation with them around.
Dr Gadit explains, “That occasional gelato, having popcorn while watching your favourite film or just enjoying a piece of chicken tikka with your friends at a barbecue party is therapeutic for both your mind and body.” In other words, eating a little bit of everything adds contentment to your diet as well as your life.
‘Healthy’ isn’t always a good word
A study conducted at the University of Rome reported that out of 400 students surveyed, nearly 7 per cent — more than the percentages of anorexic and bulimic students combined — suffered from orthorexia. “Orthorexia begins, innocently enough, as a desire to overcome chronic illness or to improve general health. Over time, these people start to blacklist certain foods. What to eat and how much, and the consequences of dietary imprudence come to occupy a greater proportion of their day,” says Bratman.
When orthorexics slip up or deviate from their diet — devour anything from a single piece of chocolate to a bowlfull of ice-cream or a pizza — they experience a fall from grace and feel guilty and shameful,” says nutritionist Dr Shraddha Gadit. “To make up for the binge, they perform numerous acts of repentance and self-punishment that involve over exercising and adhering to stricter diets and fasts,” she adds. It doesn’t take long for this behaviour to develop into a cycle.
In a way, the act of eating ‘pure’ food begins to carry pseudo-spiritual connotations. “After pregnancy, I was on crash diets and did strenuous exercising to lose weight. In the process, I did end up becoming slimmer, but I soon realised that I had become a health-food addict,” says Sonia Sharma, 33, teacher, who recently became aware of her obsession with food. People suffering from orthorexia often prefer to starve themselves rather than eat food they consider impure and harmful to their health. “My list of unacceptable foods lengthened and going hungry rather than eating something ‘unhealthy’ looked like a better option. I’d stand up on the weighing machine every time I’d eat something, which drove me crazy,” she says.
Social isolation
Apart from affecting your health and mental well-being, orthorexia causes dysfunction in your social life. “People who are constantly concerned about what they eat, plan their life around their diet. They shop at organic food stores and avoid eating at restaurants because they are always worried about how the food is cooked and the quality of ingredients used in cooking,” says nutritionist Neelanjana Singh. Since they only prefer eating homemade food, they decline the opportunity to meet friends and family while, in some cases, people avoid inviting them to parties and social gatherings with the fear of ‘eating right and healthy’ becoming a dominating topic of conversation with them around.
Dr Gadit explains, “That occasional gelato, having popcorn while watching your favourite film or just enjoying a piece of chicken tikka with your friends at a barbecue party is therapeutic for both your mind and body.” In other words, eating a little bit of everything adds contentment to your diet as well as your life.
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