Surely we have heard about orthorexia and this type of eating disorders. Well, throughout this text we will see what exactly it consists of, what its symptoms are, how the disease is diagnosed, whether it has a cure or not, and what we can do to prevent it.
Healthy eating is very important, at any age and at any stage of life, as it prevents us from certain diseases such as strokes, diabetes, urinary tract infection, cancer, etc.
We know that there are currently a multitude of stimuli that distract us from the goal of a healthy diet, but we are also aware that it is precisely at this time that we have more opportunities to eat a healthy diet. We have all kinds of food at our fingertips and all the information about them at a single click.
What’s the matter? Well, there comes a point where we become so obsessed that without realizing it we enter fully into an eating disorder , and we begin to feel uncomfortable with our body, with who we are, with others, with food, we stop going out, to relate to each other. , of feeling dissatisfaction with what we eat, etc.
Today we are going to deal with a serious problem, and from now on we want to say that if any of those who read us think they have orthorexia and need help, we recommend going to a trusted friend or family member and asking for help.
What is orthorexia?
Orthorexia is a pathological and meaningless obsession with eating healthy, being healthy, healthy food and healthy eating in general. It ends up affecting the person so negatively that it becomes their only vital objective, and that, therefore, affects their mental stability, their social interaction, and other areas of their life.
It is a mental disorder that is beginning to be a very serious reality, and more because of Instagram, diets, messages of fear towards other types of food that are not 100% healthy, constantly judging who is not the same to us, the rejection of those who skip the diet, the obsession to always comply with those Instagram scholars who are counting calories and grams of sugar in everything they buy.
We have repeated both actively and passively that in a normal healthy diet there is room for even pizza on weekends and Nutella for breakfast, as long as it is on rare occasions and in small quantities. A slice with Nutella a week doesn’t hurt, neither does a pizza on Saturdays, as long as it’s not with 8 greasy ingredients and then we keep up our sports routine.
Eating should be a pleasure and a daily joy, it cannot be a suffering, nor should we restrict ourselves, unless it is for health reasons, for example, diabetes, high cholesterol, kidney failure, etc.
Causes and main symptoms
Orthorexia has a number of symptoms like any obsessive compulsive behavior. Knowing this information can help us open our eyes or learn how to deal with someone close to us who needs help.
Regarding the causes, it is not known exactly what causes this disorder included among the TCAs , in fact, it shares features with anorexia and bulimia. Many psychologists have concluded that orthorexia may be caused by the need to control some aspects of our lives.
Regarding the symptoms, it is quite extensive, and more so today with access to social networks and where almost anyone can give lessons and explain what is healthy and what is not, taking away the self-esteem and confidence of thousands of people. persons.
Those who suffer from orthorexia spend hours planning their weekly menus ; they don’t skip a meal, they don’t give themselves any extra treats; they strictly follow what others tell them; they are extremely strict to the point of feeling bad about themselves, if they do not comply they punish themselves with even more restrictive fasts or diets; they eradicate foods from their diet such as sugar, unhealthy sweeteners, additives, refined oils, non-wholemeal flours, etc.
Other symptoms are that they are usually very open people and lend themselves to debate and dialogue, and that they do not hesitate for a second to spread their way of being and shout it from the 4 winds on Instagram and other networks. They are very proud of their decisions and believe they are superior to those of us who do not follow such a strictly healthy diet.
They tend to underestimate anyone who does not understand them, they take them for fools or crazy, who do not follow their rules or ideals, etc. This often leads to social isolation. This reaches the point of even losing their appetite and they only eat intuitively , that is, they stop knowing when they are hungry and when they are full. If the menu says 200 grams, that’s what they eat, period.
Orthorexia begins as a normal person with healthy lifestyle habits, and begins to become an obsession and a way of life. A kind of one-man sect where all the outsiders are the bad guys and I’m the best.
Diagnosis and how the disease affects
There are a series of situations that will help us diagnose the disease and ask for help. For example, spending more than 3 hours thinking about a healthy diet; worry a lot about the quality and composition of food ; feelings of guilt if the quality of the food decreases; social isolation; excessive planning of meals for the next day, etc.
On a physical level, this disease affects the nutritional imbalance . Being such a strict diet, there can be significant nutritional deficiencies or even excesses of vitamins and minerals, as well as health problems such as osteoporosis, hypertension, anemia, weak immune system, weight loss, etc.
On a psychological level, this disease crushes a lot and it is that exercising constant self-control over ourselves generates unsustainable pressure, even developing anxiety disorder, irritability, stress, depression , social isolation, phobias to some foods, etc.
How is orthorexia cured?
This disease must be treated by health professionals, starting with psychologists and nutritionists and with a lot of patience, learning to eat again, with a lot of support from friends and family, losing the fear of lack of control and not knowing what we are going to eat tomorrow, doing sports in a healthy way, etc.
The hardest thing is the reintroduction of eating habits and working on worries, fears and emotions. A long road that can be overcome if the patient puts his hand. The key is to increase the flexibility of the thoughts that are generated around food, strengthen self-esteem and improve social skills.
Can it be prevented?
Yes, orthorexia can be prevented from the very moment we see a friend, family member, coworker or classmate, acquaintance, or ourselves obsessively checking ingredients, controlling everything they eat, calculating calories for the day, organizing menus, etc. Everything that escapes normality is a sign that something is not right.
You have to be very aware of the signs and educate in healthy lifestyle habits , but without excessive restrictions or prohibitions, unless it is due to health issues, such as cardiovascular problems, diabetes, gastritis, kidney failure, fatty liver, etc.
