Orthorexia Nervosa

Orthorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that has taken over the life of Jenni Victor, as covered by ABC News’ story entitled, “When Obsessing Over Healthy Eating Turns Dangerous.” Like other eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia, orthorexia nervosa negatively impacts an individual’s nutrition and mental health, and can lead to severe health complications. However, the National Eating Disorders Association explians that the DSM-5 does not yet consider it a clinical diagnosis, though many people are living with the symptoms. Orthorexia is characterized by an individual’s fixation on being healthy and eating nutritiously, which differs from the obsessions with body image and losing weight that anorexic and bulimic patients possess.
The NEDA also reveals that, “Orthorexia appears to be motivated by health, but there are underlying motivations, which can include safety from poor health, compulsion for complete control, escape from fears, wanting to be thin, improving self-esteem, searching for spirituality through food, and using food to create an identity.” This information is in accordance with the behavior exhibited by Jenni, as she spends excess time perfecting her eggs, worries about the sugar in sweet potatoes, deliberates over ordering a latte because she did not work out, and feels she must label herself with a strict diet. Jenni discloses that orthorexia has caused her to lose her period for a year, adrenal fatigue, and an underactive thyroid. Due to these negative impacts, Jenni is working to overcome orthorexia, but confesses, “‘There is that twisted aspect of having a disorder where you kind of don’t want to recover from it because you’ve put so much of yourself into being this way.’” The NEDA points out that the recovery process involves the individual coming to the acceptance of healthy eating as only a component of life, as there are many other things to enjoy in life.