The Truth Behind Eating Disorders Disguised as ‘Clean Eating’

In today’s world, wellness trends dominate social media and organic grocery stores line every corner, making it easy for people to fall into the trap of thinking that “healthy” equals happiness.

But what people don’t realize is that the pursuit of “clean” eating can turn into dangerous territory by turning it into an obsession.

Such an obsession is known in the medical world as “orthorexia”.

This term comes from the Greek words ortho, meaning “correct” and orexis, meaning “appetite,” which describes an obsession with eating only “right” or healthy foods.

However, as it is not officially recognized as an eating disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), it is often applauded as a commitment to clean eating.

This disorder, which begins with an innocent commitment to healthy eating, has serious effects on physical and mental well-being.

Experts shared that this commitment can quickly escalate to eliminating entire food groups or avoiding any food a person considers impure, such as those containing artificial additives or pesticides.

“Some elements of it can look a lot like diet culture in disguise,” said therapist Jennifer Rollin, founder of the Eating Disorders Center.

“It can also limit one’s larger goals and values,” he added.

Although research on orthorexia remains limited, its prevalence appears to be intertwined with other eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating.

Experts also emphasized understanding the complexities of orthorexia, saying it’s crucial to navigating the fine line between mindful eating and a harmful obsession with purity.

Symptoms of orthorexia

The warning signs that the disorder is developing into orthorexia, according to Eating disordersinclude:

• Extreme concern about the foods they choose, especially if their diet doesn’t match their own strict personal criteria of “purity”.
• Social isolation as they distance themselves from people and activities that conflict with their rigid eating schedule.
• Feeling guilty after “slips”.
• Increased self-esteem from eating “healthy” meals.
• Anxiety, sadness and mood swings.