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While we should all be fighting for a balanced diet, researchers at York University argue that extreme research for a healthy diet can be a sign of struggle for mental health.
Jennifer Mills, an associate professor in the psychology department of York, has co-authored a recent article on orthorexia nervosa, which she describes as an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating, published in the journal Appetite .
In reviewing the academic literature on the subject, the authors found that people with a history of eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive tendencies, perfectionism, and other psychological and behavioral tendencies were at higher risk. to develop orthorexia.
"There is nothing wrong with eating healthy, we should all aspire to a healthy diet," Mills said in an interview. "But we must be aware that mental health problems can manifest themselves through food."
Orthorexia was not recognized by the classical textbook psychiatrists used to diagnose mental disorders, and the York study found that research on the subject was limited.
But while the so-called clean plans regained momentum, Mills said that the medical and research communities were increasingly interested in the social and psychological side-effects of "pathological" concern related to a healthy diet.
Although there is an overlap between the risk factors for orthorexia and certain eating disorders – such as a poor body image, a tendency to slimming and dieting – Ms. Mills explained that conditions differ substantially, especially their motives.
People with a restrictive eating disorder such as anorexia usually reduce their food intake in order to lose weight or change their appearance. But for people with orthorexia, Mills said that the focus on food is a matter of quality rather than quantity.
Many people with orthorexia are proud of their bodies, she said, but they are decidedly difficult as to what they contain.
This often involves eliminating certain types of foods from their diet, such as sugar, saturated fats, gluten, animal products, artificial flavors and preservatives.
For some, she said, the list of banned foods can be lengthened for so long that their diets may be devoid of essential nutrients, which in severe cases can lead to health risks such as: as anemia, vitamin deficiencies or excessive weight loss.
But Mills added that one of the reasons why orthorexia tends to be overlooked, including by health professionals, is that many people with this condition are in good physical health even if they suffer psychologically.
"When people consult their doctor and tell them," I eat very healthily, "the most typical response that they get is:" It's great … Keep doing what you do, " said Mills.
"But they may be fighting more privately with that feeling that they are starting to lose control, that it takes them out of life."
For people with orthorexia, eating foods that conflict with their diet is likely to cause extreme guilt or extreme anxiety, Mills said. This distress is usually related to perceived risks of illness or physical disability. But by treating their bodies as temples of health, some may lose sight of their mental well-being, she said.
They can spend a lot of time and money planning and preparing meals and having trouble eating foods prepared by others, Mills said.
Some strict dieters believe these sacrifices are worthwhile considering the health benefits, Mills acknowledged. But people with orthorexia may feel that their attachment to food consumes so much that it harms their work, their family and their social activities, she said.
"When we are extremely stressed or overwhelmed, we look for ways to cope, and for some people, very strict control of their diet is a way for them to feel as if they are in control, that they are not, "she said.
"Being mentally healthy is having the flexibility, time and mental space freed up for other activities, and not letting the world go around the food."
Ms. Mills said that one of the most surprising findings of her research team was that orthorexia occurs at relatively equal rates between men and women. This suggests that the disease is less like a eating disorder, which disproportionately affects women and girls, than an anxiety disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder, prevailing over time. the same way in both sexes, she said.
She said the diagnosis of orthorexia can be slippery because it is not defined by specific dietary habits, but rather by a set of problematic thoughts and behaviors that negatively affect the quality of life of the patient. A person.
Mills hopes the study will raise awareness of orthorexia, a disease that she says is on the rise, fueled by a culture that values healthy eating and wellness as one of her ultimate virtues.
"Everything is around us: messages about how we should do better, we should eat better, we should constantly seek to improve," she said.
"I think this has a way of encouraging blacks and whites to think about food … and that can make people feel worse about themselves"
Adina Bresge, Canadian Press
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