source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15704033&query_hl=4

New eating behavior disorders such as bigorexia (muscle dysmorphia) and orthorexia are appearing in developed countries. These disorders have not been officially recognized so that they are not classified as independent entities. The term orthorexia comes from the Greek word orthos (straight, proper) and orexia (appetite). It is characterized by the pathological obsession for biologically pure food, which leads to important dietary restrictions. Orthorexic patients exclude foods from their diets that they consider to be impure because they have herbicides, pesticides or artificial substances and they worry in excess about the techniques and materials used in the food elaboration. This obsession leads to loss of social relationships and affective dissatisfactions which, in turn, favors obsessive concern about food. In orthorexia, that patient initially wants to improve his/her health, treat a disease or lose weight. Finally, the diet becomes the most important part of their lives. We present a clinical case that responds to the characteristics of orthorexia. The differential diagnosis with chronic delusional disorder, anorexia nervosa and obsessive-compulsive disorder is carried out.

Hmm...interesting.

Orthrexia isn't new, but it certainly is another interesting disorder. Goes to prove yet again that 'perfection' doesn't exist.

I think that's silly... of course our diet is going to be a big part of our lives, it's our bodies and we care about what we put into them.

Orthorexia isn't just "caring about our diet." It's an obsession with food purity and "health." My friend's brother had it and eventually he would eat almost nothing--even stuff like plain steamed organic broccoli. He was too freaked out that there were chemicals or bad things on it...it was pretty f'd up.

Orthorexia isn't just "caring about our diet." It's an obsession with food purity and "health." My friend's brother had it and eventually he would eat almost nothing--even stuff like plain steamed organic broccoli. He was too freaked out that there were chemicals or bad things on it...it was pretty f'd up.

Agreed.

When I was having a lot of problems and trying to recover, I would try and eat so perfectly that I wound up becoming more and more scared of food because of the fact that it wasn't "perfect" nutrition wise. It came down to where I would be scared to eat almost anything except organic Broccoli and Spinach. I thought that if I could eat enough calories through these two items, then I could live a perfect life.

I was scared of carrots because they are higher in sugar than other veggies...

I honestly believe that it can develope as an eating disorder in itself, or branch off of another eating disorder and grow to a sick point. I also think that some BodyBuilders are at risk for this because of the fact that a lot of them believe that "clean" foods should only be consumed, and if other things are taken in... the body will turn into a pile of unhealthy mess.

Scary stuff :(.

Cheers.

Agreed with Molly and Dosh. I've dealt with this a bit myself.

My boyfriend does this. I'll eat a caramel but he wouldn't eat one "because it isn't healthy" and then he'll scould me for doing so. He also exercises way too much.

Sigh.

Orthorexia isn't just "caring about our diet." It's an obsession with food purity and "health." My friend's brother had it and eventually he would eat almost nothing--even stuff like plain steamed organic broccoli. He was too freaked out that there were chemicals or bad things on it...it was pretty f'd up.

Agree. Although eds are complicated,have multiple causes and are different
for everyone, a lot start with a new diet or health trend. I can see how focusing on 'purity' would soon become an obsession and turn into disordered eating.

I'm a little confused. Are you guys saying that being vegan is/or is similar to, having an eating disorder? It's interesting because someone suggested to me that it was a form of anorexia. I eat tons of food and only dropped an initial few pounds when I became a vegan, so it doesn't seem like it applies. Any clarification would be appreciated.

I'm a little confused. Are you guys saying that being vegan is/or is similar to, having an eating disorder? It's interesting because someone suggested to me that it was a form of anorexia. I eat tons of food and only dropped an initial few pounds when I became a vegan, so it doesn't seem like it applies. Any clarification would be appreciated.
I don't think that being vegan/veggie = eating disorder, afterall a lot of people become vegan/veggie for health reasons as well as moral/ethical reasons. I think that in some extreme cases, very strict diets can lead or be symptomatic of Eds. But not everyone.

I'm a little confused. Are you guys saying that being vegan is/or is similar to, having an eating disorder? It's interesting because someone suggested to me that it was a form of anorexia. I eat tons of food and only dropped an initial few pounds when I became a vegan, so it doesn't seem like it applies. Any clarification would be appreciated.

No, veg*anism is not an eating disorder. Eating disorders take many forms, but they all involve some kind of obsession related to food and eating, which leads to emotional and physical distress. Sometimes veg*anism can be appealing to people prone to EDs because they see it as an opportunity to retrict their diet in some way. For anorexics that means eating less, for orthorexics that can mean only eating "pure" foods, which can also lead to eating less. But there are plenty of happy, healthy veg*ans (like myself, and it sounds like you too), who choose a veg*an diet for perfectly healthy reasons.

I'm a little confused. Are you guys saying that being vegan is/or is similar to, having an eating disorder? It's interesting because someone suggested to me that it was a form of anorexia. I eat tons of food and only dropped an initial few pounds when I became a vegan, so it doesn't seem like it applies. Any clarification would be appreciated.
Nope, it's people who become obsessed with eating pure/healthy foods to the point where they become UNhealthy. For example it's fine to cut out junk food, but when it gets to the point where the person consideres everything junk food except apples, that's a real problem! People with Ortherexia can become so strict with their eating that they start losing weight and become malnutritioned because they're afraid to eat anything for fear that it's "bad". It's more about something taking over their life and losing control, rather then someone just eating healthy.