What Is Orthorexia? Dietitians Explain the Warning Signs of an Unhealthy Obsession With Healthy Eating

Eating healthy is a good thing, until it isn't. Dietitians say a growing number of people are crossing into orthorexia, an unofficial but increasingly common eating disorder.

As more and more people are becoming conscious of what they eat, keeping track of their calorie intake and going organic, there is also growing concern that this obsession can go too far, resulting in a condition known as orthorexia. What is orthorexia, and how do you know that your intentions to eat healthy are bordering on this condition? Here’s what some experts have said.

What Is Orthorexia?

The term orthorexia was first coined in 1997 to refer to an obsession with “proper” or “healthful” eating. According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), researchers are still debating how to classify the condition, whether as a standalone eating disorder, a type of anorexia nervosa, or a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder, since studies show that the condition borders on these.

Orthorexia is currently not listed in the DSM-5, or the official handbook for mental health diagnoses, but it is expected to be, especially with the condition becoming common, due in part to pressure from social media.

Why is Orthorexia Becoming More Common?

Between diet trends, protein-packed food, and technology that tracks biometrics, it’s easy to be influenced by the health obsession culture. Add to this the constant noise in social media, reminders to eat healthy, videos about food that’s bad or use fake ingredients, this can be overwhelming.

"It's subclinical disordered eating, so it's not something that has a clinical diagnosis code, but it's widely recognized in the disordered eating community," said Beth Auguste, a maternal wellness dietitian in Philadelphia. She described it as "a preoccupation with healthy eating and a fixation on the purity of food."

Beth Heise, a registered dietitian with OnPoint Nutrition, added that it's "an obsession with what someone perceives as the proper way of eating."

What are the Warning Signs to Watch Out For?

So how can you tell if your healthy eating habits are teetering into orthorexia territory? These experts highlight a few key signs.

One is restricting yourself from eating food that has no relation to any allergies or medical condition you’re trying to protect. This includes being rigid about what you will and won’t eat. "It winds up becoming less about healthy eating, which is usually what it starts out as, and more about an unhealthy obsession with food purity," Heise said.

Another sign is when you allow these rules to interfere with your social life. For instance, declining to join dinner plans because you’re not sure about the food situation. "When it impacts your ability to live socially in the world, comfortably, then it's a problem that you should address," Auguste said.

NEDA also outlined other symptoms, such as spending too much time analyzing ingredients and food labels, feeling anxious when food you consider “safe” isn’t available, and obsessing over what other people are eating.

Feeling guilt and anxiety after breaking a personal rule about food is also another sign. "If you feel like you have anxiety... you're nervous about eating something... and you feel like that more often than not, then that could be a sign that maybe you're thinking about it too much," Heise said.

Can Orthorexia Be Treated?

The good news is that orthorexia is treatable with the right support. Auguste recommends working with a dietitian or therapist who specializes in disordered eating to determine whether your habits have become a problem. "You can definitely recover from orthorexia if you have the right support," Heise said, "so, as soon as you feel those feelings, address it as early as possible so that it doesn't turn into something that rules your life."

Both experts stress that healthy eating isn’t about perfection. "The more practice you can get of letting yourself find the middle, where you're not 'always,' you're just 'usually' doing something, I think the better," Auguste said.