WHAT IS ORTHOREXIA NERVOSA
WHAT IS ORTHOREXIA NERVOSA
Obsessively trying to adhere to a healthy, organic, additive-free diet: Orthorexia Nervosa.
It is possible to define it that think too much about nutrition and health, to feel responsible for the food eaten and as a state of anxiety.
Today, the increase in hormonal and processed foods, the progress of fast food habits, and the lack of exercise cause the importance of healthy nutrition to be explained more and remain on the agenda. While this situation encourages individuals to eat healthy, it can be a trigger for some individuals.
What distinguishes this eating disorder from anorexia, bulimia is not a weakness that one insists on. In this eating disorder, the person wants to eat healthy and do the ‘right’ thing. The fact that this desire occupies a large place both physically and mentally in a person’s life also causes him to become obsessed.
The healthy eating trend brings with it the state of being in control at every stage from washing the food to cooking. For this reason, not getting certain nutrients causes physiological disorders.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES OF THIS DISEASE?
Orthorexia was defined as an eating disorder in 1997. For this reason, the number of studies on it is very few. However, if you suspect that you or someone in your environment who has these criteria, it is definitely useful to get support from a psychologist.
The idea of dieting has begun to be interpreted differently in society and is the main reason for the onset of many eating disorders. Considering the underlying reasons; Conditions such as the pressure of the family to eat healthy since childhood, the individual’s obsessive-compulsive disorder, the struggle to stay healthy due to food shortage and hormonal foods, perfectionism, and fear of being sick are the factors that bring the person closer to orthorexia.
The symptoms of orthorexia nervosa include constantly paying attention to healthy eating, making it an obsession, thinking about it even when not eating, imagining the preparation stages of the meal one by one, making choices that he thinks are healthy even in situations that exceed his budget, being judgmental towards people he thinks is not eating healthy. If this situation progresses, the social life of the person begins to be interrupted, loneliness and depression of this person may occur.
NUTRITIONAL SCHEDULE THAT SHOULD BE CREATED DURING THE TREATMENT:
Orthorexia nervosa, like all other eating disorders, is both a physical and mental disorder. It is very important to have a holistic approach in the treatment of these diseases and to follow up after the treatment. Subjecting to any pressure, judging, forcing are behaviors that should never be done in the treatment of this disease.
The most important step is to determine the trigger factor that causes the emergence of the disease. Getting down to the source of the problem and prioritizing its improvement is a must for treatment. The patient’s age, how long he has had this problem, whether there is a similar history in his family before, and the physical discomforts caused by this disease should be questioned.
In the treatment process of the disease, it is very important that the person has the motivation to recover. It is important for him to be able to suggest himself in order to get rid of this ailment, improve his social life, and regain his physical health. It is necessary to implement a treatment plan in cooperation with the nutritionist and psychologist. Then, his perception of foods that he thinks are not healthy should be changed and gradually included in his diet.
