misunderstandings of orthorexia

I have noticed it time and time again--misunderstandings of orthorexia. Even on one of my favorite blogs, Ecorazzi, the confusion is clear:

Do you suffer from Orthorexia? Don’t know what Orthorexia is? THAT’S BECAUSE IT’S NOT REAL!!!...Now if you’ll excuse me I have some greens and tofu waiting for me. I’m such an Orthorexic.

It's time to clear the air. Orthorexia is not simply a commitment to a healthy lifestyle--it's a form of obsessive behavior that leads to social isolation, chronic anxiety in making food choices and/or justifies or facilitates restrictive eating/caloric deficits. In severe forms, orthorexia can become an eating disorder and must be treated accordingly.

The issue is not with healthy eating--the issue is about what happens when an obsession starts to take over, control you, and effect your quality of life.

For additional information on orthorexia, click here.