As important as a nutritious diet is for a balanced lifestyle, researchers in Toronto say some people are at risk of taking it too far and developing an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating.
, researchers from York University鈥檚 Faculty of Health examined numerous studies on a condition called orthorexia nervosa (ON), which is described as a pathological obsession with healthy eating.
鈥淔or some people, they can become obsessed with pure or clean eating to the point where it becomes distressing and can actually impair them in certain areas of life,鈥� the study鈥檚 senior author Jennifer Mills, an associate professor in York University鈥檚 department of psychology, told 麻豆传媒 Channel.
The team looked at how certain psychosocial risk factors could make someone more vulnerable or more likely to develop ON and found those who have a history of an eating disorder, obsessive-compulsive traits, dieting, poor body image, and a drive for thinness are more likely to develop a pathological obsession with healthy eating. They also discovered that vegetarians and vegans were at higher risk.
Lacto-vegetarians, those who don鈥檛 eat meat and eggs, but still eat dairy products, and those on a strict eating schedule were at the highest risk, according to the study.
鈥淲hat the paper highlights is: 鈥楻eally, we ought to be thinking of this in terms of mental health鈥� and for people who really take it to the extreme, they may be struggling to manage their mental health,鈥� Mills said.
Although eating disorders are commonly associated with young women, the researchers said they found equal rates of men and women who struggle with the symptoms of ON.
Mills said ON can lead to malnourishment and it can be difficult for people with the condition to socialize in settings that involve eating.
鈥淔or people who are vulnerable, they may latch onto (the clean eating trend) and then take it to the extreme, to the point where they鈥檙e spending a lot of time researching and a lot of time purchasing food (and) preparing food,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t makes it difficult to eat with other people, it makes it difficult to go out to eat and it can be really distressing.鈥�
As opposed to individuals with anorexia nervosa, who restrict calories to lose or maintain a certain weight, people with ON are fixated with the quality and preparation of the food they eat. The researchers said the increasing time spent on purchasing, planning, and preparing healthy meals can eventually become an 鈥渁ll-consuming obsession鈥� that interferes with other aspects of life.
The team said they conducted the review because previous research into ON is limited and the condition isn鈥檛 recognized in standard psychiatric manuals for healthcare providers.
鈥淚t was surprising to me that the overwhelming majority of the articles in this field were of neutral [to] poor quality, indicating that the results of these studies must be interpreted with caution,鈥� Sarah McComb, a Master鈥檚 student in Mills鈥� lab and first author of the study, said in a news release.
鈥淚t really suggests a call for more valid measurement tools of orthorexia, so that more reliable conclusions can be drawn about the true prevalence of orthorexia in the population and which psychosocial factors really put a person at risk for developing orthorexia nervosa.鈥�
The study鈥檚 authors said a 鈥渃onsistent definition鈥� for ON will make it easier for health researchers to provide better diagnosis and treatment of the condition.
