Author: Ioli Nikoletta Papadopoulou
Definition: Orthorexia nervosa can be characterized as the extreme obsession with eating healthy which can result in weight loss and progress to anorexia. Orthorexia is classified as a valid mental illness and eating disorder.
ON is a disorder that has not been investigated a lot and thus not many researches have been conducted (most of the cases that have been examined are about adults who suffer from further mental illnesses such as ARFID, OCD, schizophrenia). As a result, the evidence presented in this research might be incomplete due to the incompleteness of the topic.
Victim demographic: Most common victims of this disorder are people who frequently follow diets, people who suffer from various mental health disorders as well as other eating disorders. People who utilize social media in their daily life as well as health professionals who specialize in nutrition (ex. Dietitians). Dietitians are always in contact with the word healthy which can be really harmful to their psychology/ mental health. Lastly, people who fast or follow vegan and vegetarian diets are more prone to orthorexia nervosa.
Some common symptoms of orthorexia are:
Obsessive focus on healthy eating
Social isolation
Physical Health issues
Guilt
Anxiety
Avoidance of certain foods (often deemed by society as unhealthy)
Causes of orthorexia nervosa:
Psychological factors (perfectionism, low self-esteem, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive tendencies)
Social media
Educational background
Cognitive distortions (black and white thinking, fear of illness)
Personal experience (traumatic events, family dynamics)
Treatment: Treatment process of orthorexia nervosa, is similar to the one in any other disorder. The treatment can be conducted domestically or/ and in a mental health facility (such as hospital). The treatment is similar to the one in anorexia beginning with the re-introduction of new foods to enlarge somebody’s diet and raise their BMI into a healthy level if needed. Also, the treatment, except for the physical, also has a mental aspect. The victim must talk to a therapist in order to learn how to manage their urges and to rewire their brain. Lastly antipsychotic medicines such as olanzapine might need to be prescribed for the sufferer.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, even though the evidence we have is extremely limited, orthorexia is a serious mental illness that is different from other eating disorders but can easily overlap with some of them as well as with a number of other mental disorders often for the purpose of control. Orthorexia is a valid eating disorder that we need to conduct further research in order to shed light and make largely recognized by the scientific community.
References
Cambridge university press,the definition of orthorexia, Cambridge dictionary. Citation available from: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/orthorexia
Saddiccha S, Babu G, Chandra P. Orthorexia nervosa presenting as prodrome of
schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Res. 2012 Jan;134(1):110. Citation available from:
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