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Can eating habits make you sick? Yes, if keeping a he althy diet turns into an obsession. We are talking then about orthorexia. The disease was first diagnosed and described by Steve Bratman. Orthorexia is a dangerous eating disorder, and the effects can be as drastic as anorexia or untreated obesity.

Orthorexiawas discovered by the doctor Steven Bratman, who was the first case himself to be diagnosed. - In my childhood I had an allergy. My parents made sure I avoid certain foods, especially milk and gluten. They told me thathe althy dietis a guarantee of good condition - explained Bratman. - As the years passed, the fear of eating that would harm me began to take the form of an obsession.

Orthorexia or obsession with he althy eating

After a few hours a day, Bratman meticulously prepared his meals, studied modern diets and nutritional trends. He ate only organic food, and he chewed each bite 50 times. He even worked on creating a miracle diet, thanks to which people will avoid disease and stay young longer.

He concentrated so much on his diet that he started avoiding friends, and stopped having lunch and dinner together. First, fear that he will have to eat something unhe althy, and second, because he did not have time to do so, and he was busy planning his meals. Only when he lost weight, weakened and began to fall ill did he realize that something was wrong.

Realized that his wonderful diet was just bad for him. He graduated in medicine and started private practice. In the office, he met patients who adhered to the diet so strictly that, instead of keeping them he althy, it became the cause of the disease. Bratman noticed that these people's obsessions were identical to his problem. He called this new disease entity orthorexia nervosa ("ortho" means normal, "orexis" - appetite). To warn people about the effects of nutritional exaggeration, Bratman wrote a book in 1997 on orthorexia. Its title spoke for itself: "In the claws of he althy food."

Causes of orthorexia

Bartman points to several reasons why orthorexia spreads. The first is the fashion for superhe althy eating , created, among others, by by handwritingfemale.

Many of them have a fixed diet column and offer their readers a different, absolutely wonderful menu every week. The example of the stars also works. Julia Roberts does not part with soy milk, Gwyneth P altrow even has a personal chef who travels with her around the world, preparing meals using raw vegetables.

Polish celebrities also confess in interviews that they do not eat meat, do not drink milk, and eat sprouts, carrots and lettuce. On the other hand, modern society is bombarded with reports that entire groups and individual products are harmful. There are prions in beef, pork with vegetables and fatal cholesterol, poultry is stuffed with antibiotics.

The candidate for an Orthorectic becomes a vegetarian. She just doesn't eat meat, she starts chasing "unacceptable" animal rennet in cheese. The white cheese does not tick because it may contain gelatine. Anyway, he read somewhere that dairy products really do harm. Processed food is forbidden because it contains dyes and preservatives.

Starts eating only at home and only what he prepares himself. Theoretically, you can still provide yourself with a wholesome diet by composing proteins from soybeans, beans and other legumes. Well, when they cause gas, so I give up on them. He read somewhere about nutrition with solar energy, maybe that would be the he althiest !? This way, you can go to the brink of starvation.

How does an orthorectic behave?

- Every Orthorexic has a "career path" - says Joanna. She started out with weight loss diets. He has been using them from the age of 12. - I've never been prone to anorexia. I wasn't starving myself. If the diet was 1000 calories, then I ate a thousand, not one less, or more. If there was a red grapefruit on the menu, then I had to eat exactly that, God forbid, oranges or an apple. Then she became a vegetarian, and then, in addition to calories, she started calculating the glycemic index (the basis of the Montignac diet).

- As long as I lived in the dorm, no one paid special attention to it. All the girls there were usually on some diet - she says. The troubles began when she moved in with her boyfriend. He couldn't understand how you could "make circuses" because of food, and why she looked at him as a poisoner when he offered her a slice of pizza. - We were arguing. I started to feel bad. At first I thought it was from this stress, although Bartek from the beginning said it was from malnutrition. The doctor confirmed his version.

Orthorexia: the unhe althy effects of a he althy diet

People struggling with orthorexia suffer from numerous diseases caused by inappropriatethe way you eat. Insufficient supply of the main groups of nutrients: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals contributes to the formation of organ-related changes.

The consequence of these disorders is often manifested by damage to the organ, and even the entire system. First there are headaches, dizziness, problems with memory and concentration. They are accompanied by nausea, abdominal pain and weakness. Menstruation stops because the body does not produce enough estrogen to maintain regular cycles. Insufficient amounts of iron and zinc from meat can cause anemia and decrease immunity.

Orthorexia - threats

People with orthorexia are at increased risk of osteoporosis, hypertension, heart disease, mood swings, depression. Orthorexia also has consequences for the functioning of the patient in society. Due to his strict diet, and especially his obsessive attachment to it and belief in his own superiority, he becomes alienated. An orthorexic can quit his job if it interferes with he althy eating and cut off contacts with his family if it is against his practices.

Orthorexia treatment

The basis of treatment is the use of a rational diet, prepared by a doctor or nutrition specialist. In the first stage, its aim is to compensate for deficiencies, and then to discipline the patient. - It helped me. Now I put all my energy into following this medical diet - says Joanna. But I still shudder at the thought that I could swallow those nasty burgers, just like my Bartek. If an orthorexic is unable to accept the diet proposed by doctors, he should be under the care of a psychotherapist. Orthorexia is, like other eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia), "a disease of the soul" and often the help of a specialist is essential.

Concentrating on he althy eating and a proper diet can lead to orthorexia, a disease that wipes out the body and psyche. Orthorexia is dangerous because it invades life imperceptibly. There is a fine line between excessively he althy eating and orthorexia.

You must do it

Check if you are at risk of orthorexia

  • Is the quality of what you eat more important to you than the pleasure of eating?
  • Does it take you more than three hours a day to think about food?
  • Are you thinking today what you will eat tomorrow?
  • Do you collect diet books and caloric tables?
  • Do you scrupulously count all the amounts consumed every dayby yourself calories?
  • Do you know organic food stores in your area and do you visit them regularly? Do you leave a lot of money in them?
  • Are you a controlling perfectionist?
  • Do you have the feeling that your quality of life has improved since you started following a he althy diet?
  • Since following the principles of a he althy diet, has your self-esteem increased?
  • Do you feel sorry for people who still eat unhe althy?
  • Do you feel guilty when you eat something unhe althy yourself?
  • Do you avoid socializing because you are faithful to your diet?
  • Do you ever avoid a party because of an unhe althy menu?
  • Do you like to eat alone?

If you answered yes to more than half of the questions, you should consult a specialist.

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Category:

Psychology