When Healthy Eating Becomes Unhealthy: Understanding Orthorexia
When the pursuit of eating "right" starts to cost more than it gives.
Watch Kelsey's video
Orthorexia is a term used to describe an unhealthy preoccupation with eating foods perceived as healthy or "pure."
Caring about what you eat isn't the problem. Concerns around eating can become harmful when they create significant distress, rigidity, or interference with someone's life.
When "healthy" stops feeling healthy
Some general patterns people describe include:
- Increasing rigidity around food
- Fear or anxiety around foods perceived as unhealthy
- Food rules interfering with social life
- Excessive mental energy devoted to food choices
- Guilt or distress when deviating from self-imposed food rules
Food doesn't need a moral scorecard
Individual foods don't need to be sorted into morally good or bad. Different foods do different things, and all of them exist within a bigger picture of your overall eating, your life, and your enjoyment.
Nutrition and fitness should support your life, not consume it.
Getting support
If your relationship with food is causing you distress, a healthcare provider, registered dietitian, or mental-health professional experienced with eating concerns can help.
This resource is for general education. It does not diagnose, screen for, or treat any eating disorder.