I have allowed this to consume (!) my life currently. I am afraid to eat off my narrow plan. I do not eat like anyone at home or out. I am afraid to break out because I am irrationally afraid that I will (1) feel bad all the time and (2) age quickly (3) get cancer or some other disease and (4) gain weight. But in some ways even if that did happen, it might be a better life than this one focused on myself and my body and my food.

I wanted to ask you: is there somewhere (in your book) a layout of the process of coming out of this way of eating? It would help me to know that the things I experience are part of the process of recovery so that I don’t get afraid and run back to the disordered eating.

I know you are on target about this, but I think healthy (according to our cultural belief system but not necessarily truth) eating and weight is the religion of the day. So what you appear to be saying is like heresy. You are just saying ease up in the worship.

Thanks for putting it out there. It really helps those of us who can see it and need to free ourselves for the bondage.

Lisa

I find this topic very interesting, and I think that orthorexia has a potential of becoming new “obesity” in the future. Being “natural” seems to be more and more and popular, especially amongst certain populations.

I work in a hospital (cardiac unit), and it is one of my responsibilities to log in patient’s intake, so I have to discuss what and why they haven’t eaten (due to insulin and other issues). More and more often I hear that food is not “organic”, there are “hormones and antibiotics in meat”, salad “doesn’t have enough green leafy vegetables”etc. That makes me wonder: if you are so health-minded, how come you are in a cardiac unit with diabetes and cancer??? I am just trying to understand why these people don’t have a sense of hunger and fear to eat even one or two meals that don’t fit their criteria, even though the meals we provide are ordered by physicians? Is it a doubt or disbelief in contemporary medicine that makes people refuse to eat? How come they don’t believe even if we save their lives?
This is, of course, just an observation without any conclusions, but I think that a hospital is a good place to see development of phobias towards food.

Another interesting case are people with existing anorexia who now find excuse to stay that way because they refuse to eat “unhealthy”. If eating “healthy” is a big and expensive challenge, they simply don’t eat.

Lastly, is “antioxidant obsession” a part of orthorexia?:) I see a lot of it too.

Just sharing my thoughts here.

will def look up your book.

You are either a very clever and sharp person or dumb as ever to create this hype and promote this campaign. If you are getting paid well for your promotion, enjoy the money as it will get you what you want. Whores do the same and they also have some kind of fulfillment from what they do and the service that they provide. Right?

I do not know you, but from what I have read from this site, I gather that you may be of Jewish descent or know some Jewish individuals. If so, then you have to really direct your Orthorexia campaign towards your those fellow brothers, sisters and Rabbi’s to let them all know that they are sick and diseased (and potentially have been for ages) because they have gone as far as create special “Kosher” laws, traditions, as well as “Kosher” stores and markets in cities all around the world, just like others have created “Organic Food” Stores.

As a non Jewish person, I actually see sense in “Kosher” methods, and respect the dietary structure. You have a lot of serious work ahead of you Doctor as the “Kosher” community is very ORTHOREXIC!!! (Sound the Alarm)

I have read the books by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn (Reverse and Prevention of Heart Disease), Dr. McDougal (Starch Solution), Dr. Colin T Campbell (China Study) and have seen presentations by Dr Klaper and Dr Greger, and conclude that they are not wrong and full of Hot Air as the information that they provide is backed by Verifiable Facts and Hard Science. You on the other hand are (to say it in a nice way) Kooky and Quacky.

As far as the people who have a disorder and will only eat organic, please tell them on your wonderful website, that they need to see a good psychiatrist as they are obsessive compulsive disorder and cannot control anything in their life so they resort to controlling the only thing that they can… the food that they eat.

Keep it simple and don’t over complicate things Steve.
You are a Doctor, help others don’t confuse them.
Do good my man, eat healthy food and live long!

Mark

Cheers,
Paul