Orthorexia: The Rising Concern Over Obsessive Healthy Eating

Experts debate whether orthorexia, a fixation on 'clean' eating with significant health and social consequences, should be classified as a distinct eating disorder.

• Orthorexia involves an obsessive focus on healthy eating, leading to restricted diets, social isolation, and potential physical health issues.
• The condition is not officially recognized in diagnostic systems like DSM-5 or ICD-10 due to insufficient research and ongoing scientific debate.
• Psychologist Friederike Barthels highlights its psychological underpinnings, including perfectionism, control needs, and anxiety as key risk factors.
• Social media plays a dual role, raising awareness about orthorexia while also promoting unrealistic health ideals that may exacerbate the condition.
• Tailored therapeutic approaches, including eating disorder treatments and nutritional counseling, are being explored to support affected individuals.

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