Orthorexia, or orthorexia nervosa in full, is closely related to the disorder anorexia nervosa. With anorexia, the sufferer has an unhealthy obsession to lose weight while with orthorexia, the subject has an unhealthy obsession with "healthy eating". The subject may avoid certain types of food, such as those containing fats, preservatives or animal products. As a result, the sufferer may become as hazardously thin as those suffering from anorexia.
The condition was identified by Dr. Steven Bratman, a Colorado specialist. Bratman coined the term for the condition in 1997 from the Greekorthos, "correct or right", and orexis for "appetite".
Though the word is entering the Englishlexicon, it is not yet a recognized medical condition.
NEWS (10 May 2007): A writer for the new British magazine LOOK is working on an article on orthorexia, and she is interested in contacting women in their 20's who have experienced the condition.
Orthorexia is a long-term behavior pattern, not short-
In order for orthorexia to be a disorder, all that is required is for it to have a significant, negative impact on an individual's life.
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