Orthorexia

It is a commonly held belief that addiction is exclusively caused by addictive substances. Even some eating disorders are increasingly blamed on the 'addictive properties' of certain foods. But the disease of addiction can manifest in many kinds of behaviours, which explains the surprising problem of orthorexia.

Orthorexia describes a harmful fixation with eating healthy foods. The disorder is a very clear illustration of the nature of addiction: the behaviours are not necessarily harmful in themselves. Rather, it is their misuse that can be destructive.

 

In the case of orthorexia, the focus on healthy eating could, in principle, be of benefit. However, orthorexia describes a dangerous fixation that can lead to malnutrition, potentially causing great harm.

More fundamentally, the disease, like any addiction, is a symptom (a potentially harmful symptom) of an underlying problem.

Treatment will require both cessation of the addictive behaviour and therapies to help the sufferer deal with the emotional conflict at the root of the disorder.

Orthorexia is an eating disorder characterised by the extreme avoidance of foods considered unhealthy. The sufferer may shun, for example, fatty or salty foods. In other cases, orthorexia may be characterised by an obsession with fad diets.

Orthorexics often refuse to eat anything that they have not prepared themselves, which can have severe effect on their everyday lives and lead to social isolation. 

People with orthorexia obsessively pursue a feeling of wellbeing, but such a compulsion is, by definition, unbalanced and unhealthy. However, this may not be immediately obvious to the sufferer. 

It's an irony that the director of Oasis Counselling Centre, Anstice Wright, understands. "At Oasis, we encourage a healthy lifestyle. Obviously eating healthy foods is a critical part of being healthy. The problem in these cases is a lack of balance," says Wright. "Oasis helps people restore balance to their lives. That's the true key to healthy living."

The holistic treatment programme at Oasis helps patients restore harmony to their lives. By emphasising good food and exercise in a balanced manner, combined with special activities like yoga, Oasis guides patients to a properly balanced, healthy lifestyle.

Overcoming any eating disorder needs professional care. But treatment cannot be forced on a person: they have to acknowledge that they have a problem.

This does not mean that concerned friends and family members are powerless to act. In consultation with a professional, it may be possible to stage an intervention to help convince the orthorexic there is a problem. 

Effective treatment will see the patient modify their behaviour, in conjunction with therapies and support programmes to treat the underlying emotions at the root of the problem. 

The solution to orthorexia is not to begin eating unhealthily. Rather, the patient will learn to assess their needs and begin to pursue a balanced, properly healthy life. 

This process will take time and persistence. For this reason, a period of in-patient treatment is advisable to beat orthorexia and other eating disorders.