Orthorexia, what is it?

While the cult of thinness and diet is still present, a new food phenomenon is worrying the health authorities: orthorexia. Or in other words make a fixation on what you eat to eat only "healthy" food, even putting your health at risk. Just like anorexia or bulimia: it's all about mental illness. According to psychiatrists, this would be a form of anxiety that would push people to control their diet accurately.

More than having a balanced diet , a person suffering from orthorexia will study precisely the composition of everything they eat (with a focus on organic foods, fresh fruits and vegetables and non-industrial foods), tracking all ingredients deemed unfit for consumption (all ready foods, fast food, etc.). Result, finished outings at the restaurant or even dinners at friends, since the subject will not know exactly what he has on his plate. Moreover, the fact of cutting off his circle of dating for food reasons is one of the main symptoms that allows to suspect the orthorexia of one of his relatives.

How to recognize orthorexia?

According to health professionals, this disease of "healthy eating" mainly affects the professions related to nutrition, such as bodybuilders, fitness enthusiasts , sportsmen or even dieticians who, by dint of paying attention to everything they eat , end up seeing evil everywhere. A questionnaire called the Bratman Test has been put in place to determine how much a person is affected by this disorder. Among the questions, one is interested in the time spent thinking about one's meals, the differences allowed and the feeling of guilt felt in the event of a difference.

If you think that you or one of your loved ones is suffering from orthorexia, the best thing to do is to meet a specialist who will be able to estimate the severity - or not - of the situation. Because orthorexia can result in deficiencies, but is also a disorder that can have serious consequences on self-esteem , the desire to live or lead to total social exclusion.