Friday, February 10, 2023

The Dangers of Orthorexia Nervosa

In today’s society, a high emphasis has been placed on eating healthy and nutritious foods. Although this emphasis can be beneficial in overall health and wellness, too much of an emphasis can lead to a fixation on eating only healthy food that can lead to an obsession. This is a type of disordered eating labeled as Orthorexia Nervosa. Orthorexia Nervosa is defined by only eating foods labeled as “pure” and is disordered eating rooted in restriction. Warning signs of Orthorexia have been identified by the National Eating Disorder Association as, “compulsive checking of ingredients lists and Nutrition Facts Labels, cutting out an increasing number of foods or food groups, showing high levels of distress when "healthy" foods aren't available, and obsessively following "healthy lifestyle" social media accounts and blogs.” Orthorexia can interfere with an individual's mental and physical health and can lead to malnutrition if taken to an extreme. There are many resources available if an individual is struggling with this condition. Some resources include talking with a healthcare professional, a therapist, or a registered dietitian to help them understand what a nourishing diet looks like. 


Source: https://www.eatright.org/health/health-conditions/eating-disorders/orthorexia-an-obsession-with-eating-pure


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