What is ORTOREXIA: Causes, Symptoms, Consequences and Treatment

  • Jul 26, 2021
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What is orthorexia: causes, symptoms, consequences and treatment

Currently there is more and more awareness and information about the guidelines to develop a healthy life, and this is also reflected in the diet and its variety of products. However, there are people who develop excessive concern and control over their eating routine, becoming a pathology. If you want to know more about this recently identified disorder, keep reading this Psychology-Online article: What is orthorexia: causes, symptoms, consequences and treatment.

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Index

  1. What is orthorexia
  2. Causes of orthorexia
  3. Symptoms of orthorexia
  4. Orthorexia: consequences
  5. Orthorexia: treatment

What is orthorexia.

The word orthorexia is a neologism that comes from the Greek orthos or correct and orexis, appetite. This term was coined in 1997 by the American physician Steven Bratman.

Definition of orthorexia

The definition of orthorexia implies a pathological attitude towards food, which is why it is conceptualized as a obsession with healthy food

, an eating pattern that meets a series of strict and restrictive requirements. It is important to note that the fixation that the person develops with the food you consider healthy, does not imply that it is really healthy, of quality and beneficial. This is because the criteria that the person with orthorexia nervosa establishes are based on their own belief system and in various sources that are not necessarily scientifically contrasted.

This pathology, despite not being included in any manual of mental disorders (such as DSM 5), is included within the Eating disorder, since food is a central element in this disease. It is also related to the obsessive compulsive disorder due to the development of rigid and inflexible rituals in feeding. However, it differs from other eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia in that in the latter there is concern for the quantity of food, while in orthorexia for quality, and on the other hand, there is no distortion of the body image.

Causes of orthorexia.

Refering to etiology of orthorexia nervosa, its origin presents various causes or factors that could predispose to this:

  • Although it can affect anyone, being a woman and young are risk factors for this disease, as well as having a medium-high purchasing power level, which allows access to a certain type of diet.
  • The sports people They also constitute a population sector vulnerable to this disorder, since they develop a high awareness about nutrition and its effects on their physique and performance.
  • There's a increased relevance of nutrition in the West, so there is a wide dissemination of information about it on social networks and in the media. This contributes to a concern about feeding in the population. In fact orthorexia and vigorexia they are considered the new disorders of obsession for a healthy life.
  • There is a large amount of dietary and nutritional information that does not come from scientific studies or empirical evidence, favoring the dissemination of non-beneficial practices for the body. Likewise, there are multiple economic interests on the part of the food industry, which is why it promulgates some criteria in the diet that respond to these and not to the true health of people.
  • The cult for image and thinness in today's society, as synonyms for success, they promote aesthetic pressure based on beauty canons. These social impositions can lead to the development of inflexible and severe diets based on supposedly healthy criteria as a tool to achieve a certain physical socially associated with health.
  • Some Personality traits such as rigidity and lack of mental flexibility, perfectionism or excess self-control are predisposing factors for orthorexia, as well as obsessive compulsive personality disorder.
  • The presence of a obsessive compulsive disorder in some cases it is related to the origin and development of orthorexic-type behaviors.
  • Sometimes people who have suffered anorexy In their recovery process, they adopt a series of eating patterns and rituals that lead to orthorexia.
What is Orthorexia: Causes, Symptoms, Consequences and Treatment - Causes of Orthorexia

Symptoms of orthorexia.

Due to the recent appearance of orthorexia as a pathology, there are currently no official diagnostic criteria shared by experts. Despite the debate on this disorder, there are two psychometric instruments that would be used to explore the thoughts, attitudes and behaviors of orthorexia; ORTO-15 and Orthorexia Self Test. Likewise, a series of symptoms that are characteristic of orthorexia nervosa:

  • Limitation and severe restriction of a large number of foods that the person does not consider healthy.
  • Dedication of more than three hours a day to diet planning and feeding that same day.
  • Recurring thoughts about buying, preparing and consuming the foods in your diet.
  • Lack of enjoyment or gratification through food, the source of satisfaction is the fulfillment of the strict established criteria.
  • Impact on quality of life and neglect of other vital areas of the person as a result of excessive dedication to food.
  • Development of obsessive behavioral rituals in the preparation of food, such as in the way of cutting or peeling it, for example, and in the use of certain culinary instruments, for example, avoid metallic ones.
  • Feelings of guilt if the person skips any of the inflexible parameters. These emotions can lead to self-punishment, which sometimes consists of fasting.
  • Perception of control over the circumstances and aspects of your life by eating the way you think is right.
  • Social isolation Because those events in which there is food or drink are avoided, since they do not trust the preparation of food by other people than themselves.
  • Identity and personal satisfaction based on compliance with food and health standards.
  • Avoidance and phobic rejection of those foods that are not considered suitable.

Orthorexia: consequences.

Orthorexia nervosa can lead to a series of problems or affectations:

  • Physical consequences: anemia, both excess and deficiency of vitamins depending on the diet adopted, hypotension, osteoporosis, thyroid problems, cardiovascular problems, weight loss, weakening of the immune system, infertility, nutritional deficits or malnutrition, etc.
  • Psychological consequences: development of a low self-esteem and self-concept, anxiety, stress, depression, obsessive disorders, irritability, concentration and attention difficulties, anhedonia or inability to experience pleasure or enjoyment ...
  • Social consequences: social isolation, loss of friendships and significant ties due to spending most of the time eating, neglect of social, family, personal and even work responsibilities, which may lead to a loss of job.

Orthorexia: treatment.

The objectives of the orthorexia treatment are the restoration of the nutritional levels of the person, the establishment and internalization of truly healthy eating patterns and guidelines, and addressing complications associated with orthorexia. Intervention with a person with orthorexia nervosa requires interdisciplinary work between psychology, nutrition and psychiatric professionals, if necessary:

  • Psychological intervention: includes psychoeducation or explanation about the disorder, its symptoms and consequences, also an exploration and approach of possible associated disorders such as depression or anxiety, cognitive restructuring with the aim of increasing flexibility of thought and the self esteem work and of the social skills of the person to avoid social isolation. In the case that orthorexia is the result of obsessive compulsive disorder, it is recommended to apply the treatment for the latter pathology.
  • Nutritional intervention: dietary supplements are first used to improve nutritional status and possible medical complications are addressed. Subsequently, an education and reintroduction of eating habits is carried out, as well as the person is taught to develop a healthy and balanced relationship with food.
  • Psychiatric intervention: It is not always necessary, but in more complicated cases the use of medication may be recommended. SSRI and tricyclic antidepressants are commonly used, as well as atypical antipsychotics.

It is worth mentioning that the prevention of orthorexia through science-based nutritional education and emotional education, self-concept work and self-acceptance.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to What is orthorexia: causes, symptoms, consequences and treatment, we recommend that you enter our category of Clinical psychology.

Bibliography

  • Cena, H., Barthels, F., Cuzzolaro, M., Bratman, S., Brytek-Matera, A., Dunn, T.,... & Donini, L. M. (2019). Definition and diagnostic criteria for orthorexia nervosa: a narrative review of the literature. Eating and Weight Disorders-Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, 24(2), 209-246.
  • García, A., Ramírez, I., Ceballos, G., & Méndez, E. (2014). What do you know about... Orthorexia?. Mexican Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 45(2), 84-87.
  • Sánchez, R. M., & Moreno, A. M. (2007). Orthorexia and vigorexia: New eating disorders? Eating disorder, (5), 457-482.

What is orthorexia: causes, symptoms, consequences and treatment

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