Having just enjoyed a beautiful, bountiful Thanksgiving feast and with the festivities of the Holidays upon us, Ive been pondering food and drink more than usual lately. Ive been infusing bourbon with various peppers, researching ways to prepare every cut of beef from the quarter of organic, pastured cow we recently purchased, and finding new ways to use bacon in my recipes (can you say chocolate chip cookies? YUM!). Next to my amazing partner, Food and Drink are my biggest loves (okay, and puppies). It’s always a fun challenge for me to eat and drink creatively, and with amazing flavor while still making nutritionally wise decisions as well as responsible ones. It is a great source of Joy in my life! I wish it were for everyone. Sadly, it is not.
We live in extreme times. Value seems to be placed increasingly on the outer limits of everything. From the sports we play, to the athletes who play them. From the clothes we wear to the lack thereof. From the Forbes Top 100 to People Magazines Sexiest Man Alive. From facial piercings that showcase a window for your teeth to full-body tattoos on the likes of teenagers. From the obscene obesity epidemic to the epic burden it plays on our healthcare system. From the unnaturally mammoth-breasted yet child-like porn stars to the praying mantis-like Supermodels who strut the runway. And most recently from the familiarity of anorexia/bulemia to the new-fangled eating disorder making it’s way into our headlines, Orthorexia.
Haven’t heard of it? You will. You may already know someone who is orthorexic. Coined in 1996 by Dr. Stephen Bratman (who was a sufferer himself) it is well on it’s way to being the next official eating disorder. So, what the heck is it? Semantically speaking, it is defined as “Right or Correct Eating”. What does that mean? This translates into an obsession with eating in a very extreme and particular way, with the initial intention of “being healthy”. Sound like an oxymoron? In light of the current obesity epidemic, shouldn’t everyone be paying a little more attention to eating in a particularly healthy fashion? Absolutely. Key word being a “little”. Or a lot. But not excessively. And not to the point where the effort turns to obsession and begins to detract from the quality of your life, adversely affecting not just your mental health, but sometimes even your physical health.
The Orthorexic person may exhibit signs and symptoms such as spending unusually large amounts of time thinking about eating in a particular way, shopping for and prepping the “right” foods, often neglecting other day to day issues of importance. They may avoid situations where the foods they have determined “bad” are present, therefore missing out on vital social interactions with friends and family. They may take on an air of “pompousness” believing their food choices to be superior to others, perhaps lecturing those persons at length on their “poor choices” eventually creating further isolation and separation from others. They may despair over “accidents” in which they ate something off the “bad list”. They may obsess and create imaginary scenarios in their minds where certain foods are the cause of everything that is “wrong”: with their health, in their lives, in the lives of others, in the world. It is not unusual for these “extreme” food limitations to progress to the point of malnutrition. In one documented case, the result was fatal: http://www.orthorexia.com/fatal-orthorexia/
This disorder may prove to become one of the most difficult to identify and resolve initially because it can appear as a simple move toward a healthier lifestyle. Do NOT think every person who is making healthier choices about their food is suffering from Orthorexia, or that they ever will. There is a blurry but certain demarcation between simply making wiser nutritional choices and the onset of Orthorexia, the recognition of which we have yet to learn as this disorder gains more attention. There is research being done now and much more to come that will help to shed light on orthorexia and help those who may suffer.
If you recall as stated at the beginning of this piece, the orthorexic person initiated their lifestyle change with the intention TO BE 
HEALTHIER. Which is fantastic! I strongly advocate for a lifestyle focused on healthy, frequent exercise habits, a regular practice for mental peace such as meditation or yoga, a conscious effort to consider the health of the planet in our lifestyle choices, and a diet focused on sustainable practices that consist of a balanced diet primarily of plant-based, un- or minimally processed foods alongside humanely raised animals, free of hormones, antibiotics, and toxic feed. All of this can be accomplished without it becoming obsessive, or divisive. Quite the contrary. For centuries, mealtime has been an event to bring people together as one. To share in conversation, contemplation, celebration. We laugh, we cry, we ponder, we ogle, we dream, we delight all in the presence of food. The food may be the subject, or just the accoutrements to our cherished moments in time. Either way, the sharing of food of every kind has been bringing people together and contributing to our collective Joy for as long as time has been. It seems tragic to me that a person may not be able to enjoy this bond, this treasured experience, because of the overwhelming drive for “Right Eating”.
When I was in junior high, I had a lovely girlfriend who I came to discover had a combination of anorexia and bulemia. She shared this with me because I had expressed a desire to” lose a few pounds” and she thought I might try this tactic. As impressionable as a 13 year old young girl can be, I saw this for what it was (unhealthy) and did not subscribe to her ideas. I did however, lack the knowledge of how that disease could destroy a person on so many levels. Sadly, I never tried to encourage her to make better choices. I wish I had. I don’t know what happened to that young girl after we went on to separate high schools. Last I saw her she was rail thin, all knees and elbows with dark circles beneath her eyes and sadness in them. I hope she found a way to healthful eating and to loving herself.
I hope for everyone to find a way to healthful eating. I believe that path has to come from a place of self-love. A place of knowing that you are “okay” just as you are. To know that you are “enough” right now. You don’t have to punish yourself through starvation, or bingeing and purging. The path to healthful eating does not have to lead to obsession, separation, or divisiveness. Everyone can enjoy positive, sustainable, healthy and honorable ways of nourishing themselves without having it detract from their everyday Joy. It may take more effort, knowledge, education, or support for some. I am confident we can all feed our Mind, Body, Spirit and Planet together. Just as we always have; over a lovely meal, a delightful beverage, and an engaging conversation we can remember for days to come.
Wishing you all a Healthful, Happy Holiday Season! Salut! Bon Appetit!
With my Warmest Wishes………..Namaste,
Lauri Glenn and Bodhi Bodywork
If you would like to read more about orthorexia: www.orthorexia.com, www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/orthorexia-nervosa, http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442471029