02/25/2018 What is Orthorexia? Orthorexia is currently not defined as an eating disorder within the DSM V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth Edition, better known as the big book of psychiatric, or mental, terms). The root words tell what the condition means, though. “Ortho” means right, or correct, while “orexia” relates to appetite. Orthorexia can be defined simply as the infatuation with correct or proper eating. Many people quickly jump aboard the “clean-eating” train, which is where I found myself almost three years ago when I developed a strong desire to be healthy and “prevent” disease. Orthorexia is different, however, in that the individual goes beyond clean eating habits and develops an outright obsession with consuming “pure,” “whole,” “unprocessed” foods, and the like. This serious pattern of disordered thinking regarding eating can truly lead to a host of additional medical, emotional, and psychological problems. It can be t...
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