Orthorexia, also known as orthorexia nervosa, is an eating disorder defined as an obsession and focus on eating only foods deemed healthy by an individual and omitting various foods that the individual considers unhealthy. Orthorexia comes from the Greek words “orthos” (to correct or right) and “orexis” (appetite) and the term means literally “correct appetite.” A California doctor named Steven Bratman created the term in 1997, and unlike anorexia nervosa or bulimia, the individual will eat, but the focus on eating only “correct foods” could lead to malnutrition or, in extreme cases, death. However, what sets orthorexia apart, especially from anorexia, is that the individual starts out with a genuine concern to eat well-balanced meals. This concern can stem from various sources, including getting over a recent illness, family habits, society trends, economic concerns or when an individual finds out information about certain foods classified as unhealthy. The person experiencing orthorexia will usually choose biological (or, “pure”) foods and omit processed and industrial (or, “impure”) foods, and in extreme cases, omit all fats or animal products. Dr. Bratman differentiates orthorexia from anorexia by the underlying goals: the anorexic individual wants to lose and maintain an “ideal” weight, but the orthorexic individual wants to eat pure, healthy foods, which will lead to weight loss, but only because of the omission of certain foods. And according to some medical professionals, orthorexia may be a reaction to our “age of information”, since people have easy access to facts and figures, or in this case, food facts. Anorexia is usually a reaction to our visual culture, such as to attain thinness or beauty ideals.

While orthorexia is categorized as an eating disorder, along with bulimia and anorexia nervosa, it is currently not classified as an official medical diagnosis. Since there are gray areas between orthorexia and anorexia, some medical doctors may diagnose the patient as anorexic instead of orthorexic. The Eating Disorders Coalition, a group based in Washington State, is currently petitioning to have orthorexia added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). While there is a fifth edition of the DSM in the process of being published (DSM-V), the definition may not become part of the final draft of the DSM-V, set to be released in 2013. The reason being, according to some medical professionals, is not that medical professionals are not acknowledging orthrorexia, but rather, there is not enough significant data or proven methods of treatment backing up the cases of orthorexia.

There are several indicators to whether an individual is experiencing orthorexia. Usually, the individual begins to limit the types of foods eaten and will continue after discovering new information about certain foods. Also, they will omit foods they once enjoyed and switch to “right “ foods. Other indicators are psychologically and socially based, and include:

·    Planning the next day’s meals and fixation on what the individual will eat next.

·    Spending more than three hours a day thinking about food.

·    Feelings of guilt or self-loathing if they eat a “wrong” food.

·    Avoiding social situations, such as parties or restaurants, since those can interrupt the individual’s meals. Also, the individual may not trust the preparation methods of the foods.

Treatment for individuals experiencing orthorexia can began with the use of a food questionnaire, similar to treatment for other eating disorders. Some medical professionals also recommend cognitive behavior therapy (when negative thoughts are replaced by newer, realistic thoughts). The use of anti-depressants, however, may be a challenge, since Dr. Bratman states that the individual may view medications as “impure” or “unnatural.”

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