A new type of eating disorder is emerging where people are becoming
     obsessed with eating to improve their health. According to the Swiss
     Food Association, this new wave of nutritional obsession, known as
     Orthorexia or Orthorexia nervosa, from the Greek orthos meaning right
     and correct, and orexis meaning appetite, is reaching worrying
     proportions.
     In a quest to cure themselves of a specific disorder, or simply just
     taking healthy eating to extremes, orthorexics develop their own
     increasingly specific food rules. Working out how to stick to their
     self-imposed dietary regimen takes up more and more of their time and
     they are compelled to plan meals several days ahead. They tend to take
     a survival kit of their own food with them when they go out, as they
     cannot eat readily available foods for fear of fat, chemicals or
     whatever their particular phobia might be.
     Sticking to their regimen takes strong willpower and they feel
     self-righteous and superior to people who do not have such
     self-control. Someone whose days are filled with eating tofu and
     quinoa biscuits can feel as saintly as if they had devoted their whole
     life to helping the homeless states Dr. Steve Bratman, the man who
     initially described orthorexia back in 1997.
     By contrast, if the orthorexic breaks their health-food vows and
     succumbs to a craving for a prohibited food, they feel guilty and
     defiled. This drives them to punish themselves with ever stricter
     dietary rules or abstinence. This behaviour is similar to those who
     suffer from anorexia or bulimia nervosa, except that anorexics and
     bulimics are concerned with the quantity of food consumed whereas
     orthorexics are concerned with the quality.
     In Europe we are now bombarded with information about what is good and
     what is bad for us all the time. Food scares and the organic movement
     have added to the complexity of decisions people need to make about
     the food they eat. Dr. Bettina Isenschmid, consultant for food
     disorders at LH?pital de lIsle in Berne, believes that this focus on
     good and bad foods is problematic and fuels an increasingly neurotic
     relationship with food in modern western society. Health is now an
     important consideration for many Europeans when menu-planning . How do
     we get the right balance between eating healthily and healthy eating
     obsession?
     As with most aspects of diet, moderation is the key. Changes in food
     choices should be made gradually and in a way that fits in with a
     persons tastes and lifestyle. Eating more healthily should have a
     positive effect on health without reducing the enjoyment of life or
     affecting relationships with others. To check if someone has healthy
     eating in perspective, or is becoming obsessed, try the Bratman Test
     for orthorexia.
     further information:
     The French Institute for Health Education: http://www.ineps.sante.fr
     The Swiss Food Association: http://www.sve.org
     The Health Food Junkie by Dr. Steve Bratman extracts:
     http://www.orthorexia.com
     The Bratman Test for Orthorexia
     -- Do you spend more than 3 hours a day thinking about your diet?
     -- Do you plan your meals several days ahead?
     -- Is the nutritional value of your meal more important than the
     pleasure of eating it?
     -- Has the quality of your life decreased as the quality of your diet
     has increased?
     -- Have you become stricter with yourself lately?
     -- Does your self-esteem get a boost from eating healthily?
     -- Have you given up foods you used to enjoy in order to eat the right
     foods
     -- Does your diet make it difficult for you to eat out, distancing you
     from family and friends?
     -- Do you feel guilty when you stray from your diet?
     -- Do you feel at peace with yourself and in total control when you
     eat healthily?
     -- Yes to 4 or 5 of the above questions means it is time to relax more
     about food.
     -- Yes to all of them means a full-blown obsession with eating healthy
     food.