Orthorexia nervosa (also known as orthorexia) is a term used by Steven Bratman to describe people who have developed a fixation with healthy or righteous eating[1] and has been referred to as a mental disorder.[2] It is not a medically recognized term.[a]
Steven Bratman claims that in rare cases, this focus may turn into a fixation so extreme that it can lead to severe malnutrition or even death.[3] Even in less severe cases, the attempt to follow a diet that cannot provide adequate nourishment is said to lower self-esteem as the orthorexic blames themselves rather than their diet for their constant hunger and the resulting cravings for forbidden foods. [4]
The term orthorexia derives from the Greek ορθο- (ortho, “right" or "correct”), and όρεξις (orexis, "appetite"), literally meaning a correct diet. It was introduced in 1997 by Californian Doctor of Medicine Steven Bratman, to be used as a parallel with other eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa.
...Bratman describes orthorexia as an unhealthy fixation with what the individual considers to be healthy eating. The subject may avoid certain unhealthy foods, such as those containing fats, preservatives, man-made food-additives, animal products, or other ingredients considered by the subject to be unhealthy; if the sufferer does not eat appropriately, malnutrition can ensue. Bratman claims Orthorexic sufferers have specific preferences about the foods they are eating and avoiding...
...In addition, he claims that "anorexic orthorexia" can be as dangerous as anorexia. However, he states, "the underlying motivation is quite different. While an anorexic wants to lose weight, an orthorexic does not desire to become thin[6] but wants to feel pure, healthy and natural...
As another good friend once said, "All I want you to do is eat a big, juicy, burger." Hmmmm....
Wow, this is dead on! And very scary, because society pushes people to lead a healthy lifestyle that, unfortunately, can sometimes turn into an obsession.
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