Orthorexia

This article was written in collaboration with Beat, the UK's leading eating disorder charity, Jenup, a non-profit organisation specialising in the early intervention and prevention of eating disorders, and blogger Shu-Shi Lin.

What is orthorexia?

Orthorexia, also known as orthorexia nervosa, is defined as an obsessive fixation with healthy eating.

Mary at Beat says: “Some clinicians see it as its own disorder whilst others see it as another form of an eating or anxiety disorder.”

This contributes to it not being officially recognised. Orthorexia is more often seen as a version of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), rather than an eating disorder. This is because someone living with orthorexia has a compulsion to maintain what they see as a healthy diet, through a strict way of thinking about and behaving around food, and isn’t motivated by body image. To use a simple phrase, it’s quality over quantity.

However, due to the obsessive nature of eating healthily, this can lead to starvation, which is where the big problems lie. Individuals with orthorexia sometimes cut out whole food groups in a bid to delete any ‘non-pure’ foods, which can make the ideal of eating healthily redundant.

Symptoms of orthorexia

So how do you know if you have orthorexia? Think about your relationship with food and see if you recognise any of these symptoms.

• Pure over pleasure. Diets can become unhealthy when you care more about how ‘pure’ your food is over the pleasure of eating it.
• Obsession with health concerns. A significant preoccupation with links between food choices and health conditions, and dramatically changing how you eat because of it, could be a worry.
• Irrational thoughts. As well as fixating on possible health concerns, obsessive thoughts about cleanliness regarding food preparation could be a sign.
• Self-harm. As people with orthorexia put themselves through diets which are hard to follow, they may punish themselves if they slip up.
• Low self-esteem. People with orthorexia may lack confidence and blame themselves if they get hungry or if they slip up on their diet.
• Isolation. If the fixation with what you see as clean eating comes before your social or daily life.
• Extreme exercising. As well as controlling what foods to eat, those with orthorexia can obsess over exercising to aid in gaining the perfect, healthy body. This can also lead to strains and other physical injuries.
• Low weight. People with orthorexia often experience dramatic, unhealthy weight loss.

What causes orthorexia?

Orthorexia can stem from many different underlying issues, such as a lack of education about food, misinformation and dangerous values from the media, and influence from family and friends behaviour. Mary agrees, and says the “increase in marketed products for ‘fit’ bodies” could also be a factor.

It may be a desire to regain some sort of control over one’s life, or a compulsion to have a ‘perfect’ body whether that’s on the inside or outside. This was the case for blogger Shu-Shi Lin who says: “I was under a lot of stress from job seeking, graduating as well as personal issues so my diet/exercise routine became the only element in which I felt I had control.”

Other causes of orthorexia can include:

• Perfectionistic and rigid personality traits.
• Obsessive personality traits e.g. OCD
• Childhood illness is related to diet or digestive issues.
• Disordered familial beliefs surrounding food “purity” and “health.”
• Need to control
• Medical problems that one believes can be cured through “pure” eating.

Help with orthorexia

Treatment for orthorexia typically involves a combination of psychological therapy, nutritional support and, where necessary, medical intervention.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is commonly used to help individuals identify and challenge obsessive thoughts around food purity, reduce rigid eating rules, and gradually reintroduce a more flexible, balanced diet.

Working with a nutritionist, especially one experienced in eating disorders, is crucial for correcting nutritional deficiencies and promoting a non-restrictive approach to eating.

Shu says there was ‘hardly any media attention’ about orthorexia when she began to seek support, which affected her awareness of her condition. As orthorexia isn’t classified medically by professionals as an official disorder, it can be hard to get diagnosed and therefore receive treatment.

Talking to a nutritionist and altering your diet is discouraged as being the main focus in recovery, as emphasis should be taken off food in order to relieve the obsession. It is recommended that people with orthorexia are slowly reintroduced to food groups to get back to normality with your diet.

“They were tiny steps,” says Shu, “but even something as small as ‘I ate a banana past 3pm AND an apple today’ was a HUGE achievement in my eyes.”

Admitting you have a problem with your eating habits

It can be tough admitting you may have a problem and then seeking help, but it’s the bravest thing you can do. “Be patient with yourself,” says Shu. Reaching out is a huge first step, and you can always do it anonymously if you don’t feel comfortable speaking to friends or family. If you’re worried about your eating habits, charities such as Beat and The Recover Clinic are great, supportive places to get help.

JenUp shares her advice on the rising link between social media and orthorexia.

Social media plays a significant role in fuelling orthorexia, a fixation on only eating foods deemed 'pure' or 'clean'.

“What I Eat in a Day” videos, commonly shared by influencers, often showcase highly curated, restrictive diets that cut out entire food groups and emphasise unprocessed, organic-only eating. These videos rarely reflect real-life nutritional needs, and can create unrealistic expectations, especially among young people who internalise these habits as a standard for health or beauty.

The glorification of organic foods and fear-based messaging about pesticides, additives, or 'clean' foods can lead to intense anxiety around everyday eating.

Additionally, social media influencers often promote extreme practices such as water fasting, juice cleanses, and even laxative use, framed as detoxes or health resets. These behaviors can be dangerous and are frequently unsupported by health professionals.

The rise of “superfoods” and supplement culture on social media adds another layer to orthorexic behaviour. While many of these products can be part of a healthy diet, influencers often present them as essential or superior, creating pressure to spend excessive money on powders, pills, or rare ingredients to maintain a “clean” lifestyle.

This curated wellness aesthetic often accompanied by idealized bodies, glowing skin, and promises of 'optimal health' can distort perceptions of what a healthy lifestyle truly is.