An orthorexia diet is an unbalanced diet that often results in malnutrition. While someone with orthorexia may feel as though cutting out ...SkiptocontentNowOfferingVirtualEatingDisorderTreatmentOptionsLearnMore8WarningSignsofOrthorexiaOrthorexiahasbeengettingalotofattentionasoflate–withintheeatingdisorderfield–andeveninmainstreammedia.Asaneatingdisorderprofessional,Iamthankfulforthepressthatthisconditionhasbeenreceiving–mostlybecauseorthorexiaisabigdeal.Whilemanypeoplelivingwiththisconditionmayreportthatitstartedoffasapositivewaytoimprovetheirhealth,forthosewhohavethebiological,socialandpsychologicalprecursorsfordevelopinganeatingdisorder,theseseeminglyinnocuouslifestylechangescanactuallyhaveveryoppositeeffects.Inourcurrentculture,cuttingoutentirefoodgroupslikesugar,fats,carbohydratesanddairyarecommended.Foodshavebeengivenambiguouslabelsthathaveunhelpfulandevenharmfullabelslike“good”and“bad”attachedtothem.Forthisreason,manyofthoselivingwithorthorexiacaneasilybeidentifiedas“healthconscious”or“healthy”totheuntrainedeye,makingmanywhomaybesufferingfrommalnutritionanddebilitatingrigiditythinkthattheirlifestyleis“normal.”HowDoWeDifferentiateOrthorexiafrom“HealthyEating?”Let’sbreakdownsomeofthemostcommonsymptomsoforthorexia:Afixationoverthequalityoffood:Thisisreallyatthecoreoforthorexia.Individualslivingwithorthorexiaareextremelyfocused–andoftenobsessive–overthequalityandpurityoftheirfood.Individualswiththisconditionoftenlimit“gofoods”tothosethatareorganic,farmfresh,whole,rawand/orvegan.Thequantityoffoodistypicallylessimportantthanthatquality.Inflexibleeatingpatterns:Someonewithorthorexiaislikelyincrediblyrigidwiththeirfoodconsumption.Anythingconsideredbytheindividualtobe“bad”or“unhealthy”willlikelybeavoided.Acommonexampleofthisinflexibilityisifsomeonewithorthorexiawerestuckonanisland,andtheonlyfoodavailabletothemwassomethingthattheyhavedeemed“unhealthy”theywouldchoosetoeatnothing.Severeemotionalturmoilif“rules”arebroken:Ifsomeonestraysfromtheirrigideatingpatterns,orfromt