An obsession with healthy eating can lead orthorexia sufferers to cut out whole food groups completely with little evidence that it will make them healthier
Extreme diets and fitness regimes are putting one in ten women at risk of malnutrition and even death, experts have warned.
The obsessive behaviour, which has been given the name orthorexia nervosa, is an eating disorder that has only recently been identified. It also affects one in 20 men.
Sufferers typically cut out entire food groups– often in the mistaken belief they are unhealthy or their bodies are intolerant to them– thereby depriving themselves of essential nutrition and vitamins.
At the same time many over-exercise, leaving themselves weak or even emaciated.
Orthorexia has become increasingly common among women in their 30s.
Many start off following celebrity fad diets such as the maple syrup detox diet, used by Naomi Campbell and Beyonce.
Cheryl Cole has championed the blood group diet, whose supporters believe different blood groups affect the body’s ability to break down certain foods.
Experts warned sticking to rigid rules was not just putting health at risk but can put a strain on relationships as people avoid eating at friends’ houses or restaurants.
The key difference between orthorexia and other common eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia is that sufferers do not necessarily set out to lose weight but end up doing so because of a misguided belief that they are leading healthier lifestyles.
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