One of the main tenets of wellness culture is the concept of righteous eating. Food choices are a matter of moral virtue and mean something about a person’s character. Fresh, whole, raw, ‘clean’ ‘superfoods’ are good. Gluten, dairy, sugar, and sometimes even meat are bad. The media perpetuates this message by skewing medical nutrition research. It seems like food either has the power to kill you or heal you. Everyone knows gentle nutrition is important. But, there is a fine line between ‘normal’ healthy eating and orthorexia nervosa. Orthorexia is an unhealthy, and rigid obsession with eating healthily. It has more adverse side effects than you’d imagine.
Symptoms of Orthorexia
People who struggle with orthorexia:
- Worry about food quality
- Avoid going out to eat
- Avoid eating food prepared by others
- Fear sickness
- Bury themselves in food research
- Eliminate whole food groups
- Fear losing control
- Criticize others’ food choices
- Feel like they’re in a vicious cycle
Health obsession is distressing and creates the exact effects it claims to prevent.
Side Effects of Orthorexia
- Osteoporosis
- Problems with cognition
- Lowered immune system
- Malnutrition
- Social isolation
- Emotional instability
- Kidney failure
- Infertility
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Low sense of self-worth
- Anxiety and stress
- Heart disease
Righteous Eating Is a Social Issue
Orthorexia doesn’t only have negative personal consequences. There are systemic and social effects as well. Consider the demographic who can afford to eat fresh, whole, raw, ‘clean’ ‘superfoods’. Are you picturing a white, thin, able-bodied, wealthy man or woman? Wellness culture appropriates ‘superfoods’, outpricing them for the cultures they originated from. Chia seeds, quinoa, and coconut oil were more affordable before they became trendy. Diet culture sustains white supremacy by ‘whitewashing’ foods. For example, encouraging swaps like cauliflower for rice or lettuce for tortillas.
If you identify with orthorexic behaviors, you’ll want to grab a free copy of my guide to wellness culture. With awareness, you can make decisions that will promote your holistic wellbeing.
