[ad_1]
Although this is less known than anorexia nervosa or bulimia and that it is not as well documented, a recent study indicates that orthorexia nervosa can also have serious emotional and physical consequences.
"In fact, orthorexia goes beyond healthy eating," said Jennifer Mills, co-author of the study, associate professor of health at York University in Toronto. . "It's a healthy diet, pushed to the extreme, in which it starts to cause problems to people in their lives and where they start to feel totally out of control."
The review of disorder research published worldwide has been published in a recent issue of Appetite.
Mills and her associate, Sarah McComb, have examined risk factors and the links between orthorexia and other mental health disorders. Unlike other eating disorders, orthorexia is not yet recognized in conventional psychiatric textbooks.
A healthy diet pushed to the extreme
No clear line separates a healthy diet from the extreme diet of orthorexia.
The foods that a person with orthorexia could avoid are the same ones that a person with healthy eating habits can avoid, for example, preservatives, anything that is artificial, salt, sugar , fats, dairy products, other products of animal origin, genetically modified or non-organic foods.
It comes down to wondering if avoiding these foods leads to an obsession, that is to say that we must spend too much time and energy thinking and worrying. to know what to eat. Some people could eliminate many categories of food and eat only a very small number of things. People suffering from orthorexia are usually less concerned with reducing calories than with the perceived quality of their foods.
"They often use more and more time to think about the foods they have to buy, including what really prevents them from living," said Lauren Smolar, who did not participate in the review, Program Director of the National Association of Eating Disorders (NEDA), a non-profit organization. "This can lead to malnutrition or weight loss in a very difficult and potentially dangerous way."
A person with orthorexia could focus on the types of food and on food preparation, so that it is impossible to eat something that is not done at home.
"This can lead to all sorts of problems, such as isolation or the inability to eat at other people's houses or in a restaurant, because of the fear that the food is not prepared in such a way Very pure and clean, this might suggest to anyone that it takes its life in hand, "said Mills in statements collected by journalist Cara Roberts Murez, in an article published by HealthDay News.
Cultural trends can fuel these fears, Mills warned. With the Internet and social media, people have unlimited access to information: some of the information is good and another is not based on scientific research.
Trends in foods that restrict certain foods are worrisome, said Smolar, who added that diets are one of the main triggers of eating disorders. All foods are good in moderation, he says, and it is best to have a varied diet.
Although many believe that eating disorders are a problem that affects young women, it seems that men and women also suffer from orthorexia, revealed the study.
People who follow a vegan or vegan diet or have a poor body image are at greater risk.
In some cases, the underlying cause is another eating disorder, and a healthy diet is considered a socially acceptable way to limit calories, Mills said. In other cases, obsessive-compulsive disorder or anxiety may be manifested by the need to feed in this rigid way.
"In this sense, it looks a lot like what we see in other types of obsessive-compulsive disorder, in which a person may be afraid of getting sick or exposed to germs if he does not wash himself. enough hands or do not do something very special, "said Mills.
How to get help
Orthorexia must be taken seriously, said Mills. Talk to your primary care doctor. Going to a psychologist specializing in anxiety disorders, eating disorders or the body image could also be helpful.
"As awareness grows, more and more people are recognizing the symptoms and looking for opportunities to help," Smolar added. "It's something I think we still have a lot to learn."
[ad_2]
Source link
