Question: At what point does healthy eating / correct eating become an illness?
“What is orthorexia? Identified in 1997 by Colorado physician Steven Bratman, MD, orthorexia is Latin for “correct eating.” Here, too, the focus isn’t on losing weight. Instead, sufferers increasingly restrict their diets to foods they consider pure, natural and healthful. Some researchers say that orthorexia may combine a touch of obsessive compulsive disorder with anxiety and warn that severely limited “healthy” diets…”

“Orthorexics: Those affected may start by eliminating processed foods, anything with artificial colorings or flavorings as well as foods that have come into contact with pesticides. Beyond that, orthorexics may also shun caffeine, alcohol, sugar, salt, wheat and dairy foods.”

It sounds like I’m suffering from Othorexics. I’ve progressively and systematically eliminated: artificial colorings, flavorings, caffeine, alcohol, sugar, salt, wheat, and dairy foods. Also, I must be suffering paranoia given the fact that I’ve called out the risks of fluoride, chlorine, aspartame, GMOs, pesticides, prescription drugs, and MSG. Should I be committed to a mental institution where I will be encouraged to eat Wonder bread and Swanson TV dinners while watching daytime TV? Apparently, I think that I’m too good to eat the standard American diet like every other good American.

I may also be suffering from the paranoid delusion that the food industry, FDA, and USDA are simply out for their own success and are only tangentially concerned about their constituents. Perhaps, I should be subjected to the flat screen mind control device in my home to correct my errant thinking.

Am I suffering from orthorexia?

Is there an outbreak of orthorexia in your community?
Further Information:

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/new-eating-disorders-are-they-real

Answer:

Answer by Hotwings1
when you worry about food too much or think about it too much, it becomes a disorder

if you eat too much too fast, it becomes a disorder

if you eat little or no food, it becomes a disorder

if you eat the wrong foods, it becomes a disorder

otherwise, you will be healthy if you don’t worry about food too much but worry enough that your diet may cause you trouble down the line and cause all sorts of problems. Anything past there, like worrying about food every second will cause you to develop an eating disorder.

Healthy Eating And Healthy Diet

By now everyone has heard of eating a balanced diet for better health but some believe a healthy diet also means a balanced diet. In fact they are both different.
A balanced diet enables us to obtain all essential nutrients present in a wide range of foods. If the balanced diet plan is consistent it will also provide a regular supply of vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients ensuring optimum health and vitality. Optimum health means less illness and health complications but more importantly increase energy levels for physical activity, this is great news for dieting and rapid weight loss. Its important to be aware that a balanced diet can also provide too many fats, refined sugar and salt. If any diet provides too much saturated fat, cholesterol and refined sugars it may be classed as unhealthy and not much use in any program.
A healthy diet plan is mainly a consumption of natural, fresh and wholesome foods for each meal of the day, foods chosen are usually low in fats, sodium and refined sugars. The difference is a healthy diet plan provides us with some nutrients but the balanced diet plan provides us with all essential nutrients.
The problem starts because we tend to eat very similar food every day especially if its our favourite we’ll naturally want to eat it more often. Consuming the same foods or types of food can lead to a deficiency in a certain nutrient only present in another food group, one not chosen in our diet plan.
While on a diet we really need to obtain all nutrients the body requires while at the same time maintain a natural and healthy weight loss. Normally a healthy diet plan can help weight loss but a combination of the healthy diet and a balanced diet plan would be great for permanent weight control. We would consume low fat foods plus gain all nutrients. Providing all nutrients regularly gives us the vitality to exercise effectively. Possessing little vitality can give anyone that “can’t be bothered or too tired attitude”, I mean ever wondered why sometimes we feel so down and low in energy. Some experts believe deficiencies in some nutrients can reduce our ability to produce enough energy making us feel lethargic, although more research is needed.
The idea of combining both the healthy and balanced diet plan is to:
* provide variety in the diet
* consume more grains, fresh fruits & vegetables which help increase energy levels
* low fat intake – especially saturated fats
* reduce sugar intake
* lower salt intake
* provide optimum health & vitality – it gives us the energy to be more active, this = rapid weight loss!

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I’ve worked all year to try and gain weight, and I am facing losing it all because I will not be able to eat whole foods for a while.

Is there any way I can avoid weight loss in this situation?

Also is there any high calorie food, that I can snack on?