Orthorexia nervosa

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Orthorexia, or orthorexia nervosa is a term coined by Dr. Steven Bratman, a Colorado MD, to denote an eating disorder characterized by a "fixation" on eating healthful food, which can ultimately lead to early death.[1][2]

Bratman coined the term in 1997 from the Greek orthos, "correct or right", and orexis for "appetite"[3]. Literally "correct appetite", the word is modeled on anorexia, "without appetite". Bratman describes orthorexia as an unhealthy obsession with what the sufferer considers to be healthy eating. The subject may avoid certain foods, such as those containing fats, preservatives, or animal products, and suffer malnutrition. Dr. Bratman asserts that "emaciation is common among followers of certain health food diets."[1][4]

According to the Macmillan English Dictionary, the word is entering the English lexicon.[5], though the psychiatric community has not widely recognized the condition[citation needed] and it is not listed in the DSM-IV[6]. Bratman's concept has been criticized by some who feel that focusing on healthful diet is generally beneficial and does not indicate a pathology, while it has been supported as a diagnosis by some practitioners who state they have seen the damaging results of the condition in their practices.[7][8][9]


Contents

[edit] Diagnostic criteria

As of January 2007, two peer-reviewed studies have been published on the condition. [10] [11] In the studies, Donini et al define orthorexia nervosa as a "maniacal obsession for healthy foods" and propose several diagnostic criteria.[10] Sufferers of orthorexia often display symptoms consistent with obsessive-compulsive disorder and have an exaggerated concern with healthy eating patterns. A diagnostic questionnaire has been developed for orthorexia sufferers, similar to questionnaires for other eating disorders.[11]

Dr. Bratman proposes his own test: "Do you care more about the virtue of what you eat than the pleasure you receive from eating it?" [12]

[edit] Symptoms and their possible explanations

Symptoms of orthorexia nervosa may include obsession with healthy eating, emaciation, and death by starvation. Orthorexic subjects typically have specific feelings towards different types of food. Preserved products are described as "dangerous", industrially produced products as "artificial", and biological produce as "healthy". Sufferers demonstrate a strong or uncontrollable desire to eat when feeling nervous, excited, happy or guilty. Orthorexia nervosa has a higher prevalence in men and in those with a lower level of education.[10]

[edit] Biology of orthorexia nervosa

There has been no investigation into whether there may be a biological cause specific to orthorexia nervosa. However, Donini et al link orthorexia to a food-centered manifestation of obsessive compulsive disorder, which is thought to have specific biological causes.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b [1]
  2. ^ Health Food Junkies Essay by Dr. Bratman, reprinted from Yoga Journal, October 1997
  3. ^ S. Bratman, D. Knight: Health food junkies. Broadway Books, New York, 2000.
  4. ^ Palo Alto Medical Foundation Summary of Eating Disorders
  5. ^ Macmillan English Dictionary entry for Orthorexia Nervosa
  6. ^ http://www.bulimiaguide.org/summary/detail.aspx?doc_id=9380
  7. ^ Web MD report: Orthorexia: Good Diets Gone Bad
  8. ^ [http://psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20041202-000004.html Psychology Today, Sept/Oct 2004, Article Title: Orthorexia: Too Healthy? Specialists have coined a new term-orthorexia-to describe an obsessive concern with healthy eating that often leads to social isolation.
  9. ^ [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/foodmonthly/story/0,9950,547293,00.html Observer Guardian Newspaper, Sept 9, 2001, column reporting on Orthorexia
  10. ^ a b c Donini L, Marsili D, Graziani M, Imbriale M, Cannella C (2004). "Orthorexia nervosa: a preliminary study with a proposal for diagnosis and an attempt to measure the dimension of the phenomenon". Eat Weight Disord 9 (2): 151-7. PMID 15330084. 
  11. ^ a b Donini L, Marsili D, Graziani M, Imbriale M, Cannella C (2005). "Orthorexia nervosa: validation of a diagnosis questionnaire". Eat Weight Disord 10 (2): e28-32. PMID 16682853. 
  12. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4389849.stm

[edit] External links

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