It seems that now more than ever, society is interested in ‘clean eating’. While taking an active interest in your diet and health is largely a positive movement, for some, it can become an inhibitive and even harmful preoccupation. This is known as orthorexia nervosa. It is not clearly defined whether orthorexia is classed as an eating disorder or a form of OCD. Orthorexia is characterised by obsessive thoughts about food and strict categorising of foods into ‘healthy’, ‘clean’, ‘good, and ‘unhealthy’, ‘toxic’, and ‘bad’.

People with a history of disordered eating may be more susceptible to developing orthorexia. Orthorexia can be viewed as an escape from other eating disorders, a way of maintaining the control and self-discipline that often characterises conditions such as anorexia nervosa under the guise of a healthy lifestyle. In reality, orthorexia supports these harmful thought processes and behaviours.

If you are living with orthorexia, you may feel a sense of control in healthy eating and, equally, a sense of shame at the idea of eating foods you deem to be unhealthy. Words like ‘toxic’, ‘bad’, ‘unclean’, ‘impure’, and ‘contaminated’ come to be associated with the person rather than the food, and self-esteem becomes reliant on sticking to permitted foods.

You may exhibit obsessive behaviour, be satisfied by sticking to a strict diet, and experience exaggerated emotional responses if you deviate from this diet or even think about doing so. These strict, self-imposed rules may create fear and anxiety revolving around ideas of disease, impurity and a lack of discipline.

‘Clean eating’ in people with orthorexia has the potential to escalate to the point where you may eliminate entire food groups, avoid eating socially or even being in situations where others around you are eating. Your relationships and social life may become impaired as you begin to judge others on their food choices and struggle to connect with them authentically.

You may find most of your day is taken up with thoughts about food and get stuck into a cycle of reward and punishment, where your sense of self and body image is entirely dependent on your adherence to your self-imposed diet. Orthorexia can eventually lead to malnutrition and resulting cognitive impairment; this is harshly ironic, considering healthy eating is meant to be just that, healthy.

Orthorexia is understandably inhibitive and harmful to one’s mental health. It is becoming more common, and if you recognise yourself or a friend or loved one as exhibiting these signs, it may be time to consider getting help.