HealthlineSubscribeNutritionEvidenceBasedOrthorexia:WhenHealthyEatingBecomesaDisorderWrittenbyAlinaPetre,MS,RD(NL)onApril2,2020—MedicallyreviewedbyAtliArnarsonBSc,PhDWhatisorthorexia?CausesHowcommonisorthorexia?DiagnosisNegativehealtheffectsTreatmentThebottomlineHealthyeatingcanleadtomajorimprovementsinhealthandwell-being.However,forsomepeople,thefocusonhealthyeatingcanbecomeobsessiveanddevelopintoaneatingdisorderknownasorthorexia.Likeothereatingdisorders,orthorexiacanhavesevereconsequences.Thisarticleexplainseverythingyouneedtoknowaboutorthorexia.ShareonPinterestWhatisorthorexia?Orthorexia,ororthorexianervosa,isaneatingdisorderthatinvolvesanunhealthyobsessionwithhealthyeating.Unlikeothereatingdisorders,orthorexiamostlyrevolvesaroundfoodquality,notquantity.Unlikewithanorexiaorbulimia,peoplewithorthorexiaarerarelyfocusedonlosingweight(1).Instead,theyhaveanextremefixationwiththe“purity”oftheirfoods,aswellasanobsessionwiththebenefitsofhealthyeating.Themedicalcommunityisbeginningtorecognizeorthorexia,althoughneithertheAmericanPsychiatricAssociationnortheDSM-5hasofficiallydefinedtheconditionasaneatingdisorder.AmericanphysicianSteveBratmanfirstcoinedtheterm“orthorexia”in1997.Thetermisderivedfrom“orthos,”whichisGreekfor“right.”SummaryOrthorexianervosaisaneatingdisorderthatinvolvesanobsessionwithhealthyeatingandoptimalnutrition.Whatcausesorthorexia?Althoughyoumaybeginadietsimplyintendingtoimproveyourhealth,thisfocuscanbecomemoreextreme.Overtime,goodintentionscanslowlydevelopintofull-blownorthorexia.Researchontheprecisecausesoforthorexiaissparse,butobsessive-compulsivetendenciesandformerorcurrenteatingdisordersareknownriskfactors(2,3).Otherriskfactorsincludetendenciestowardperfectionism,highanxiety,oraneedforcontrol(4,5).Severalstudiesalsoreportthatindividualsfocusedonhealthfortheircareermayhaveahigherriskofdevelopingorthorexia.Frequentexamplesincludehealthcareworkers,operasingers,balletdancers,symphonyorchestramusicians,andathletes(5,6,7,8,9).Theriskmayalsodependonage,gende