Orthorexia: Can healthy eating hurt us? | News from Mexico

Joaquin Mateo MolaAnd International University of Valencia

A healthy diet is necessary to fully enjoy life. This simple phrase is more relevant today than ever before. The reason is the exceptional availability of ultra-processed foods and the huge publicity about them in various media.

It is not surprising that more and more people are rebelling against tyranny Fast food. Chose Limit your diet to minimally processed or even natural products Despite this, they have to deal with misleading ads that try to do so “Camouflage” of its potential industrial source.

We can say that we are immersed in a culinary and commercial battle. A battle that challenges both the values ​​of health and those of beauty. Among other things, concern for the integrity, harmony and beauty of the body, in the face of the economic interests of large multinational corporations.

Although, paradoxically, this circumstance favored the emergence of unexpected health problems. Especially in more developed countries. We are talking about orthorexia or nervous orthorexia, which is a phenomenon of increasing prevalence raises concern in the scientific community.

What is orthorexia?

The derivation of the term orthorexia comes from the Greek orthotics (true or sufficient) and Orxia (feed). submitted by Dr. Stephen Bratman at the beginning of this century, although to this day it does not appear in official diagnostic manuals as an eating disorder.

Those who suffer from orthorexia appear very troubled for healthy eating. Therefore, they spend a lot of time learning about the characteristics and preparation of food.

Based on their research, Radical changes to your diet to modify it as it sees fit. The problem is that your choices don’t always align with the scientific evidence.

As a result, there are an increasing number of food exclusions that are not adequately compensated. The consequences become apparent as the years go by, as the situation evolves from reasonable anxiety to severe and annoying rumination about what or how to eat.

Many people suffer from this problem Spend more than three hours a day choosing and preparing foodThey must undergo relentless analysis before landing on the plate. Therefore, it is not surprising that the spontaneous (and notably social) pleasure normally associated with the act of eating is diminished.

When you give in to temptation and end up eating something from an ever-growing list of taboos, an intense feeling of guilt automatically arises. and that is Orthopedic people are often extremes in perfectionism. Therefore, any misstep will lead to a painful questioning of the personal value of the individual.

Finally, orthorexia is usually considered enough for those who suffer from itSo you rarely ask for help. His clinical expression emerges as a positive feature of his own identity, and he defends himself at all costs (and sometimes hard) for the lifestyle that characterizes him, to which he is credited with high moral connotations.

What are the health consequences of orthotics?

Orthopedic dietary restrictions, along with the above concerns about healthy nutrition, can facilitate the emergence of health problems. also Significant deterioration in quality of life (in the broad sense of the term).

The most obvious consequences Affect the physical condition. Several studies highlight an increased risk of malnutrition, anemia, and mineral deficiencies.

Also from other metabolic conditions (osteoporosis, for example). All of them require specialized treatment and can lead to medical complications.

At the psychopathological level, symptoms stand out my depression s Worried. Not forgetting the high prevalence Obsessive-compulsive disorder related to food.

In fact, the latter Partially identical in clinical expression to orthorexia (Inflexibility, behavioral rituals…). Thus, it explains the observed joint disease.

Something similar happens between orthotics and other eating disorders. Lack of awareness of suffering from a problem and feelings of guilt due to excesses and excessive perfectionism Also essential to fully understanding anorexia nervosa.

All these points in common between the disorders allow us to identify common risk factors, but also to identify effective intervention strategies.

Its presence suggests that Certain dimensions of personality, Beside thought dynamicsimportant for the etiology and prediction of many seemingly distinct mental health problems.

With regard to the social sphere, the feeling isolatedIt is one of the most common complaints reported by orthopedic sufferers. In essence, this stems, on the one hand, from the difficulty of sharing relaxing moments during meals. On the other hand, due to conflicts (with relatives) associated with incompatible eating habits.

The scientific evidence also indicates that Females are more susceptible to the physical and psychological consequences of orthotics. Therefore, women with this mode of consumption require special attention from health professionals.

More research is still needed to understand the health impact of orthotics. Also to distinguish it from adaptive concerns about healthy eating (what is known as healthy orthopedics).

Future treatments should ensure that healthy diets are compatible with the mental health of those living with orthotics, and provide timely tools to develop healthy diets while maintaining the integrity of the rest of life.

Joaquin Mateo Mola, Assistant Professor at the International University of Valencia, Doctor of Clinical Psychology, International University of Valencia

This article was originally published Conversation. Read the A native.