by Nechama Dina Smith
I heard the term orthorexia a few years ago, and I believe it's a relatively new problem. I won’t speak from a psychologist's perspective because I don't have the training though maybe I can ask a psychologist friend to write me an article about their experience with it one day.
We all know about eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia. Orthorexia is not as severe as an eating disorder, but it is in the category of disordered eating.
Basically, orthorexia is a condition where someone is obsessed over his or her health. There can be varying degrees of affliction, but to some extent it interferes with one’s social life and one’s daily activities. Someone with orthorexia may spend extraordinary amounts of time thinking about food. She may distance herself from friends or family members who espouse different eating views than she does. She may overly agonize about food. She may have anxiety and guilt over eating the wrong food. Her self-esteem and self-worth may depend on if she is following her specific diet. She also may be overly critical of others.
With our current obsession with diet, it turns out many people are beginning to exhibit signs of this disorder. We are now in a health-conscious world where everyone has different opinions. Diet can become like a religion to many people.
Sometimes knowing that certain symptoms are problematic is solution enough for someone to get her own wake-up call and realize her actions may be symptoms of something wrong. Without jumping into solutions, let’s all take just a minute to acknowledge that none of us are perfect.
Believe me, when I shop, I often peek at the person’s cart in front or in back of me and approve or disapprove of that shopper’s choices. That's me being judgmental--so I do need to work on myself! I also admit I can sometimes eat too much while one of my children is so picky he barely eats. We all have issues!
But if your food choices and preoccupation lead you to avoid family or friend gatherings or cause you excessive distress, then realize you likely suffer from orthorexia. I'm not going to tell you how to overcome it. If need be, a therapist can help you.
I can say this, however: Food is important, I know. I'm even launching a new career helping people with nutrition and lifestyle. But if you see that your lifestyle is preventing you from having an emotionally healthy social life, then take a step back, and see what you can do about it. We are social creatures, however extroverted or introverted we consider ourselves. Eating together is our joy. It brings us close together.
By the way, if you're not eating and you hear someone else chewing, the sound can be annoying if you’re the sensitive type. (There is a name for having this type of sensitivity.) The easy solution, I think, is to eat together at the same time. You hear yourself chewing in your ear instead of your friend, and interestingly, our own chewing sounds don't bother us.
Eating together also helps us stay balanced. Seeing others’ eyebrows raised if our plates are piled abnormally high or if we take seconds, thirds, and fourths or, on the other hand, if our plates are woefully empty, can keep our intake in check. Eating together also encourages us to eat with pleasing manners. Dining together is the stuff of life--don’t miss out! It's not surprising that people who eat alone due to their diets often suffer from anxiety.
Ok, I am getting off my soap box. We are all works in progress. And as long as you aren't in need of a psychologist's help to get you through serious disordered eating, I'd love to help guide you as an NTP, a nutritional therapy practitioner. Email me at nechamasmith@gmail.com to hear about the three-month package to support you in your health journey that I am offering beginning in September, and ask to be put on the waiting list.
Sending you my warmest encouragement,
Nechama Dina
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