Symptoms/health risks of orthorexia

Symptoms include:

Spending considerable time (often 3 or more hours per day) thinking about healthful foods and planning what to eat.Experiencing guilt, fear or self-loathing when straying from this diet.Placing the virtue of healthy food, the pleasure of eating it.Gaining self-esteem and a sense of control from eating healthy foods.Looking down on others who don't eat the same way.Becoming socially isolated in order to follow an eating plan.

Other characteristics are;

Becoming very thin, constant worry about the quality of food, seeing the majority of foods as dangerous, seeinh only extremely pure, natural foods as “proper” food and Feeling in control by limiting your diet.

 

Health risks of Orthorexia;

Because individuals become so obsessed with the quality of what they put in their mouths, if they are unable to obtain foods considered acceptable then they would prefer not to eat at all. This is a dangerous aspect of Orthorexia as sufferers can become malnourished and health risks are similar to that of anorexia.

Tiredness/fatigue, anaemia (iron deficiency).Feeling cold due to slow metabolism.Constipation, due to insufficient amounts of fibre in the diet.Brittle bones, osteoporosis, stunted growth. Damage to internal organs, liver and kidney damage.Loss of periods and possible infertility.Anxiety and depression.Obsessive behaviour or perfectionism.Unhealthy over-dependency on parents.In severe cases, death.

These severe implications to the individual's health need medical attention and someone who thinks they may be suffering from Orthorexia should consult their doctor in order to treat any complications.

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