Filed under: Trends, Light Food, Health & Medical

Can you really have a diet that is too healthy? Yes, there is a point at which the desire to eat healthy turns into a disorder called orthorexia. It has been characterized as a "fixation on righteous eating" and usually develops when people are concerned over quality to the exclusion of all else, possibly to the detriment of their own health. According to California doctor Steven Bratman, many are raw foodists, vegans, fruitarians or have habits so unusual, they is not yet an official name, as in one case Bratman came across where the patient was "committed to eating only yellow foods." Some people may only eat skinless chicken and other completely plain foods, for example, but basically it is manifested as trying to eliminate anything that could be considered "toxic" and people with the problem constantly revise and restrict their diets. It seems to be social wellbeing that suffers the most, as Bratman reported that many orthorexics rarely get out and spend their time being consumed by thoughts of what their next meal will be, sometimes refusing to spend time with others and avoiding restaurants.

In 2004, the University of Rome conducted a study that indicated as many as 6% of people could have the condition in some form, but it is not yet accepted as a disorder in its own right, largely because the milder forms are socially acceptable. But the diet can overlap with anorexia in its more severe forms, where all food is eventually classified as "toxic" by the afflicted patient, so doctors and who are studying it are working to get it recognized so that treatments can be developed to prevent the progression of the disorder.