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| Topic: Eating Right - It's The Wrong Thing To Do ... | |
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Eat healthy ... watch what you eat ... don't eat lots of junk food ... eat your vegetables ... drink your milk ... eat your spinach ... Whatever the directive, we've had it drilled into us since childhood that eating right and making healthy dietary choices is a GOOD thing ... right? Ummm, that's no longer looked upon with favor by the 'intelligentsia' ... THEY say that to worry about 'eating healthy' is unhealthy in and of itself ... Well, screw them and the horse they rode in on ... the people who may engage in this are definitely the MINORITY of the eating public ... they, like anorexics or bulimics, are free to make their own 'choices' ... or not ... This is just 'medicalizing' the process of making poor choices in order to get federal funding ... people still (for the moment, anyway) still have the RIGHT to eat what, when, how, and where they please ... but that'll change as the Nanny State takes away more of our decision-making freedoms ...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://blog.nutritiondata.com/ndblog/2008/09/obsessing-over.html Obsessing over healthy diets: a new eating disorder POSTED BY: MONICA REINAGEL, M.S., LD/N | SEPTEMBER 09, 2008 | 9:14 AM Have you heard about this new eating disorder? It's an obsessive preoccupation with eating healthy foods (and only healthy foods). John Stossell recently did a piece for ABC News (Orthorexia: Obsessing over health food). I have to say, given what we spend our days doing around here, I found some of the quotes rather chilling: "I was obsessed with things like macro-nutrient ratios, numbers, charts," said one sufferer. Dr. Steve Bratman coined the term "Orthorexia" when he realized that his own interest in eating healthy had turned into an obsessive disorder. Orthorexics are driven by a desire to eliminate "impure" foods from their diets --and this can be taken to an extreme. At first, they may decide to eliminate sugar from the diet. Then, they may cut out anything processed. So far, so good. The problem is that it's possible to find problems with almost anything--even wholesome foods like fruits and vegetables. As more and more foods are eliminated from the "good" list, the orthorexic's diet becomes more and more limited, and harder to maintain. Planning, preparing, and charting meals starts to take time away from work, family, and other leisure activities. Many end up withdrawing from their social and family lives because their dietary rules and regulations are so elaborate. I have to say, I've corresponded with many readers over the years who - in retrospect - seem to fit this description. Their quest for a virtuous diet starts to take over their lives. They seem to lose their balance. I'm also remembering the very lively discussion we had on this blog about caloric restriction ("Caloric Restriction: Life Extension or Self-Starvation?"). Several commenters wondered whether it was an eating disorder in disguise. Or, consider the fevered pitch that this discussion of Raw foods engendered here on the blog. ("Raw food diets: Pros and Cons") Or, check out the reaction on the ABC news website. Many people (orthorexics, perhaps?) felt that people were being unfairly attacked simply for "focusing on their health." What's the line between a healthy interest and a compulsion? Although we frequently disagree on the details, all of us ND share a certain passion - or at least an interest in - healthy foods and diets. What's the dividing line between a healthy hobby and orthorexia? It seems to be a somewhat slippery slope; a perfectly reasonable desire to "clean up your diet" slides slowly and perhaps impercetably into compulsive and ultimately harmful behavior. I'm far from an expert, but I do think this is worth a moment of introspection. How's this for a starting point? 1. Are you maintaining a healthy weight? 2. Does food preparation and planning occupy a disproprtionate amount of your time? 3. Do you feel isolated from your friends and family by your dietary requirements? 4. Have friends or loved ones suggested that your interest in healthy eating has become an obsession? What should you do if you suspect that you are flirting with or have crossed the line into orthorexia? My suggestion is to seek a consultation with a health professional (such as a nutritionist or psychologist) that specializes in eating disorders. |
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