What is Orthorexia Nervosa?

Good nutrition is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, and most people would benefit from focusing on healthier eating. For some people, however, healthy eating can turn into an unhealthy obsession. Individuals for whom nutritional eating becomes versatile obsession can suffer from eating disorders known as Orthorexia Nervosa. The phrase takes its name from the Greek root words orthos , which means "correct" and orexis or "appetite". While Orthorexia Nervosa has gained great attention in the psychiatric community, it is not currently recognized in the diagnostic and statistical manual of the list of official eating disorders. For example, patients often create very specific systems because they can eat based on the nutritional value of their food. In many cases, patients limit their food to the extent that they become underweight. Unlike patients suffering from anorexia nervosa, howeverCI with orthorexia Nervosa seeks to achieve optimal nutrition and purity through their diet.

Orthorexia nervosa is characterized by the urge to eat only foods that are "pure" or "right". In many cases, patients with orthorexia nervosa spend a lot of time thinking about healthy food, often planning offers a day in advance. As the disorder progresses, the list of foods that an individual can allow to eat can be increasingly restrictive. For this reason, Orthorexia Nervosa can make it difficult to eat away from home. Patients may begin to feel isolated from others, as their Restride CTIVE prevents them from participating in many social activities.

Patients with orthorexia nervous may also suffer from depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder. In general, suffering perfectionist are and builds their value of individuals on the ability to observe "perfect" diet. In this senseOrthorexia nervosa shares many characteristics with anorexia nervosa.

Although Orthorexia nervosa is not yet officially recognized by the psychiatric community, patients usually benefit from psychological treatment. Specialists in eating disorders are usually best equipped to treat patients with Orthorxia nervous. As with other eating disorders, antidepressants or anxiety drugs may also be effective in the treatment of Orthorexia nervous.