Eating disorders continue to claim lives globally. There is a pathology still little known, but equally dangerous.
Il relationship with food it represents the main factor of manifestation of well-being or malaise in the human being. Observing the approach with meals and above all with the ingredients taken allows us to establish whether a subject X enjoys good health or not. Over the decades, several psychologists and therapists have singled out three degenerations about: anorexiaobesity and bulimia.
In the first case, one is faced with an erroneous perception of one’s own body, prompting the patient to drastically reduce the portions of food, up to – in the most serious cases – to eliminate them completely. L’obesity represents the other side of the coin: lack of affection, stress and low self-esteem can lead the subject to a disproportionate intake of junk food, the main cause of weight gain. There bulimia finally it arises from a combination of nervous hunger and a sense of guilt: the patient eats abundantly, and then voluntarily induces vomiting to remedy what he perceives as a mistake.
Apparently, it would seem that to these three degeneration, add another closely linked to the advent of social networks. Let’s talk about orthorexia: let’s find out together what it is and what it consists of.
Orthorexia, from lifestyle to eating disorder: what it consists of
The advent of social networks has forced us to continuously display images that portray perfect bodies, as if they were sculpted in marble. This aspect has therefore fueled the so-called culture of well-being, consequently derived from the dissemination of information regarding training plans and nutrition secrets. We then come to demonization of certain ingredients, with the associated exaltation of organic elements, free of fats, added sugars, colourings, palm oil and so on. Choosing your diet carefully is certainly a wise modus operandi, but it doesn’t have to lead to obsession.
The main symptoms of orthorexia I am:
- Continuous meal planning;
- Purchase and search for categorically organic foods, free of fats and substances considered “toxic” to the body;
- Analyze the health risks associated with the consumption of certain foods;
- Consequent restriction of meals;
- Social isolation.
Do you usually avoid dinners out because you don’t want to consume a dish prepared by someone else? Do you read the label of every food you put in your cart? Do you obsessively monitor your calorie intake? Are you frustrated if you can’t exercise? These are all signs of the onset of orthorexia, an eating disorder related to an excessively drastic approach compared to what is considered healthy and correct. We are talking about an eating disorder as dangerous as anorexia, bulimia and obesity can be considered – as they in any case derive from an effective lack of daily balance. It is therefore important to accept reality: also in this case, the intervention of a psychologist or at least a nutritionist is necessary.