I have had anorexia for 25 years. I go through times (like now) where I will fixate on foods and become obsessed to the point where I will only eat a handful of foods. I become convinced that if I eat other foods something awful will happen. If I read or hear anything negative about a food I am eating I will latch on to that and have anxiety to the point where I will not eat it anymore. It could just be part of the anorexia and having a malnourished brain but it is definitely a problem. I think if an obsession with foods gets in the way of living life and is a cause of distress then it is disordered eating. Focusing on your health in ways that aren't effecting the quality of your life (or are improving your health) is not disordered, but rather responsible. I plan on always eating WFPB, but I need to relax and eat some of the perfectly healthy foods that I am afraid of.
If i understand you correctly, you stop eating as a response to feeling fear. This is what I do: "Spirit of fear, in the name of (who ever is the best, highest) i command you to leave, return to the source of your origin. (Who ever is the highest and best for all) i call upon you to show me who i truly am." Experience the answer. "Is there anything I need to forgive?" Watch the answer Forgive / be forgiven. Let me know how it goes. Thank you
Maybe try to redirect your attention to the fact that eating only few foods is detrimental to gut bacteria and health, and eating a variety of (wfpb) them is better? Best of luck with dealing with your situation, stay strong (you sound like it)
Sorry that you've suffered like this. I agree with what you said and I see how health food obsessions can contribute to problems in people dealing with anorexia and other mental health problems, but I don't think it would be reasonable to diagnose anyone with orthorexia when there are other underlying issues. But I do think that medical professions should be trained to identify how restricted diets could be either a guise for anorexia or could make it worse.
Sorry to hear that. Must be hard. Its actually quite amazing what the human body can put up with. Like those people eating fast food, smoking and drinking everyday and it often Takes 30 or 40yrs doing that to get really sick. Its actually what you do 80 to 90% of the time that's important, rather than eating perfectly all the time. The body can easily deal with a bit of crap from time to time.
These Orthorexia videos (as well as the articles discussed) miss quite a few points about the criteria of this disorder that should be taken into consideration. - Whilst Anorexia is summarised by 'avoiding food for fear of gaining weight', Orthorexia could be described as 'avoiding unhealthy food for fear of getting a disease.' They take it to a level of obsession, where it is on their minds all day, carefully planning meals to make sure they tick all the right boxes. The thought of having a red light or even amber light food is intolerable and can cause anxiety. Green light food are the only ever acceptable. Being in a social situation where they might be offered unhealthy food might cause panic and becomes undesirable, leading to isolation. Meals must be controlled to precision and it can be very distressing if someone else were to prepare a meal for them. This means eating in restaurants or in public is very difficult or entirely avoided, because even the most health-conscious caterers look at you funny for asking if they will prepare a meal without oil. The guilt that follows after having something that should be avoided is excessive. Maintaining this level of perfection is almost impossible which can lead to an all-or-nothing situation where if a mistake is made (something unhealthy is consumed), the day has been ruined and further unhealthy foods eaten, increasing the guilt and shame that follows. The obsessive avoidance of unhealthy food can lead to under-eating, skipping meals when there is no alternative, and of course extreme weight loss over time. Again, it's not about viewing the foods as 'fattening' or full of calories like an Anorexia sufferer would: it's the fear that eating these foods WILL give you a terrible disease. I hope this explains more of the mental distress which comes from the health-obsessed style eating disorder. I'm not suggesting Orthorexia is defined enough to be accepted as a standalone illness and is possibly more of a subdivision of Anorexia, but it shouldn't be shrugged off as an attack on those who are just being health-conscious because there is definitely more to it than these studies portray.
Thoughts of Decay Amen Amen. If one misses the signs in practice of Orthorexia they could thereby be missing Anorexia, A Typical Anorexia, Bulimia etc. etc. that in some cases goes with it. Studies show most folks with true eating disorders transistion between both or multiple disorders. Ignorance to this fact could make patients think they may not have an issue when they do truly have a problem and not seek early intervention which can potentially keep a person out of hospital or save their life. Not saying that eating healthy or exercising is not the best thing for the body. But restriction and over exercise is ... moderation is key to all things.
@@Katie_Jo_21 Thanks. It's concerning to me that if someone like me had seen a plant based doctor, they would just give me a thumbs up and tell me to carry on because of my exceptionally good diet. It's not as simple as that and shouldn't be taken lightly.
Wait. Are you limiting orthorexia , saying people have a fear they might get a disease if each time they eat they aren't getting optimal nutrition? No, its not fear of disease, it encompasses so much more than that. The reasons are different for everyone. Some reasons are to discipline oneself. Some are for the benefits of endurance and stamina. Some are just to seek attention by being different. You can't label it as - Fear of a disease.
@@thinkinoutloud.1 Hi, no I'm just trying to explain why it should be taken seriously from my own experience because I felt somewhat invalidated. Whatever consequences of eating unhealthy foods threaten the individual enough to cause anxiety and obsessive behaviour would make sense I guess.
@@moccles yes, i hear you. And as i said sometimes its not fear of food it can be obstinate defiance against the norm of societal practices. It could be a way to express agressiveness in people who are just pissed with things they hate about life. I dont know the psychological terms but i can say that some people complain about mediocre food, in order to scold and bully.
Great Video...I wanted to add my person experience to the discussion. The thing about Orthorexia is that it becomes and obsession. I know my obsession with healthy eating led to restriction, and cutting certain healthy foods (like healthy fats and carbs and beans) out of my diet because in my mind they weren't "healthy enough". When I was diagnosed with an ED it was explained that Orthorexia wasn't just about healthy eating in general it was about what the person themselves considered healthy (which may in actuality not be healthy thinking or behavior). It wasn't uncommon for me to skip meals or leave out whole food groups, which isn't healthy, but at the time I convinced myself it was. To other people it may have looked that way too. This obsessive type behavior is what led to my anorexia and binge eating. I think that is something to consider. What are the people who have Orthorexia actually eating and doing? Are they really just living a healthy lifestyle or is it an obsession that impedes on their everyday life? Thanks!
I'm concerned that these videos could fuel the ED voice of someone who has a restrictive ED. When you have an ED, it will constantly make you look for signs that you're doing the right thing. Signs that you're 'not sick enough', or that you're restricting 'for health', so the ED can continue to have a hold on your life. Trying to eat healthier DOES NOT equal orthorexia. It's when you feel as though food is controlling your life and preventing health.
Orthorexia/anorexia/bulimia/BED = "I want attention and/or drama in my life and/or I think cheese pizza and candy bars are food - but feel guilty about it so I need to classify myself as a victim so no one can call me out on my bullshit. Poor me. My psychiatrist and drug manufacturers have my back on this so it's indisputable. Don't make me grow up!"
I think orthorexia could definitely be a real thing. The component that I believe would make it real, is that the 'healthy' part of it would refer to the psychology of the subject, not what healthy means to society. I know that makes no sense so let me explain. As a society, healthy means good. This word always has a good connotation. However, just like anorexia, I believe orthorexia would be when someone twists the idea of healthy within their own mind. For example, take the recent drama of all these ex-vegans. Many of them followed extreme diets they believed to be healthy. Someone may genuinely believe that eating and drinking nothing but water for 25 days is healthy. This could be an example of orthorexia, because they are obsessed with being healthy and doing what's best for their body without realizing or refusing to acknowledge that it is actually really bad for their body, or not healthy. Another example would be the whole freelee thing of only eating 30 something bananas a day. People do it as a way to be healthy, but it's actually harming them. I believe the definition of orthorexia would be the need to be 100% pure in terms of health, resulting in extreme obsessions and potentially dangerous diet choices. If you think about it it's just like ocd. There's nothing 'really' wrong with wanting to have a super clean environment. But when it becomes an obsession it usually becomes a problem.
Ellen McGrail Exactly! I love Dr. Gregor, but I think this video is a bit short sited. There’s nothing wrong with being as healthy as you can, but it’s wrong for people to call someone orthorexic just because they don’t eat pizza or whatever. But orthorexia is just what you’ve said, it’s a distorted view of what “healthy” really is, and it often becomes obsessive to the point that it negatively impacts your health because of restrictive dieting or fear of certain food groups that are actually healthy, like avocados. Perhaps we need to reframe the definition of “orthorexia,” because it certainly exists, but it’s more than someone merely wanting to live a healthy life.
So basically you think that orthorexia is when people disagree with you about what is healthy while living according to their own beliefs of what is healthy. I think you know very little about fasting and OCD. Fasting is often done after extensive research and with great discipline. Often fasting is in a way the opposite of OCD. Suffers of OCD cannot control their own thoughts, while fasters often excel at controlling their own thoughts hence their ability to not give in to their desires of food.
Ive actually had orthorexia and its just like you said. I didn't eat healthy, I eat what I THOUGHT was healthy, which was very strict and way too little, lots of protein and vegetables, very little carbs and fat. I considered almost everything unhealthy and I worked out 1-2 per day. I lost around 17 kg (I was not overweight to begin with). I was OBSESSED with eating "heathy" and got anxiety every time I ate something I didn't consider healthy or skipped a workout. I would rather stay home than go out with friends because I didn't want to cheat on my diet or skip a workout. It might be harder to tell if someone has orthorexia, since everyone has a different view on what's healthy and what's not, and ppl with orthorexia might not necessarily be underweight.
The issue is though that if you just avod processed foods you get lumped into the category of obsessive when really society is made for the amount of poor quality foods they eat.
The problem with orthorexia is that people become too underweight or even malnourished because of their obsessively "healthy" diet. It's a fixation that can be dangerous. But it isn't meant as a clear classification as "Anorexia Nervosa". People avoiding salt like the plaque and becoming iodine deficient while also having electrolyte imbalances. People avoiding even healthy fats and therefore getting hormonal issues and brain fog. Fasting and doing juice cleanses for "detoxification", destroying your gut in the process. Going carnivore because of you deluding yourself into thinking that eating plants of any kind just fuels a sugar addiction. Orthorexia is basically misinformed thinking constantly being endorsed by a fixation. You'll get sick if you keep doing your diet. Obviously, doctors can easily see any kind of positive change as orthorexic, because getting your life together needs discipline. So: No, professionals probably shouldn't diagnose orthorexia, because too many people have different ideas, as to what "Orthorexia Nervosa" even means. However, professionals should address disordered eating patterns with their patients. Earning your food, when it is in your healthy daily caloric limit, isn't healthy thinking. Feeling like you aren't allowed to ever mess up on your diet, isn't healthy thinking. Thinking that messing up once on your diet makes you eligible to binge, isn't healthy thinking. Still avoiding nutrient dense foods because "drinking calories is bad", fats are bad", "I need to cleanse my gut first", isn't healthy thinking. Professionals should also enlighten their patients about a healthy whole food plant-based diet and recommendable supplements like Vitamin B12.
This is the only video I've ever disagreed with and almost disliked with our good Doctor. Hes making jokes and poking fun, when it's a potentially very real thing. An obsession with health can mean ANYTHING in ANYBODYS mind. My idea of health is whole food plant based diet, limited oil, salt, and processed products. Look at all these ex-vegans idea of health. Not eating anything but water for 25 days??? That's an extreme need and addiction that should be diagnosable! I could never ever have the will power to actually go through with that. But like anorexics have the will power to not eat for days and days, orthorexics have the will power to do anything necessary to achieve what they believe is the perfect state of health! Even if it has detrimental effects on them, which they won't even realize because it's an addiction or obsession.
@Whats the frequency Kenneth please show me several reliable studies that say this has ever been a good thing.. we're not snakes. Our metabolism is designed so that we require and digest food much much faster
.. and here I thought that was just called being stupid. Why defend stupid people, give their manufactured illness legitimacy, and shower them with pity and attention? It only makes it worse.
I've only heard about orthorexia very recently and it's been from within the vegan community to describe some of the people who have quit veganism. The discussion I've seen using the term orthorexia has been saying that these people are so obsessed with fitness that instead of a simple whole foods, plant based diet they take it a step further and go on some unnecessary, highly restrictive diet (such as only eating fruit and not eating enough veggies) that causes them problems in the first place. The way you've been mentioning it in your videos is that simply eating a whole foods, plant based diet is seen as orthorexia, which is simply asinine as you point out.
Those so-called social media ex-vegans are not orthorexic. In fact they were doing the exact opposite of what orthorexics do. That’s what’s so confusing about the whole thing to me. People that only eat bananas for a month or water fast for a month are not eating healthy. They don’t fit the description of an “orthorexic” at all. It’s all just so utterly ridiculous. 🙄
@@TheBerkeleyBeauty As far as the water fast for a month, I assume you're referring to Tim Shieff, I wound't say he's orthorexic, I'd say he's just stupid
@Whats the frequency Kenneth Saying people have done it for "eons" is an appeal to tradition which is a type of logical fallacy, you need peer reviewed scientific studies to back up your claims
@Whats the frequency Kenneth It's not hypocritical to say that fasting for a month without consulting a doctor is not healthy. If you want to fast, do so in moderation and contact a doctor. If you want to do short term fasting then I don't think anything wrong with that, but fasting for abnormal lengths of time, like a month, could have long term health consequences
@Whats the frequency Kenneth Yeah, Angus Barbieri, a morbidly obese man fasted for a hair over one year under medical supervision plus being prescribed vitamins and supplements during his fast, I'd say that a morbidly obese man at almost 400 pounds fasting for a year is absolutely abnormal, a normal healthy person at a healthy weight would not fast for one year.
My hospital was serving no protein dense food, other than animal and bread or porridge with allergenic soy mixed into it - upon refusing both i was stuck with 30g of protein from bananas, rice and potatoes, vitamin juice, 1900kcals - and was repeatedly accused of not eating enough. But I ate ALL of their bananas. They couldn't organize more than 3. And apparently didn't know how to open a can of beans either. Miraculously I lost 5-6kg in 3 weeks, not including (sodium-infusion-)water weight. Probably 2kg muscles. Kitchen personnel was trying to convincing me, that i needed to have bone broth and a nurse was trying to convince me, that bananas cause indigestion but at least the chief doc realized that bananas were the most healthy thing in my diet and that i should eat more of them. If only there had been any more. Uniklinik, MA, Ger.
Big yikes Dr.G, Orthorexia =/= eating healthy. It is the obsession with what one thinks is healthy-- even when it is detrimental (e.g. a meat only diet). Luckily society isn't shaming people for their weight as much, but instead one is shamed for their health-- even when poor nutrition isn't the primary cause. This shame + and obsessive need for control == eating disorders. Really harmful messaging in this series. Not significantly different from dismissing anorexia by citing the health benefits of losing weight.
@@oneheckofabanana2016 I agree. I was referring to "carnivore" diets which restrict food to only meat. Any adverse affects of this are rationalized as "not being strict enough", and things get worse. Dr.G's new video thankfully acknowledges this sort of behavior (but writes it off as OCD, but I would argue is still an eating disorder).
For those who dont want to read my long paragraph: it should be a real thing. It's just like ocd. There's nothing 'really' wrong with wanting a super clean environment right? But once it becomes an obsession it becomes a problem. It ruins people's lives. And this does to, and it's almost worse because it's actually harming your body.
Oh nonono... You must understand this is not about food. This is about the mental and spiritual ability to moderate life and special situations that require us to be flexible.
@@TheBerkeleyBeauty If I hadn't eaten anything today n I have to choice between fasting n eating smthn, the answer is clear. I had an eating disorder, two years ago I would've chosen differently
As someone who’s spent a not so good amount of time on anorexia forums - I feel like the term has adopted some sort of validity but definitely not what the media describes it as. “Orthorexics” in those circles are usually people who are basically healthy eating anorexics (a lot of anorexics eat crap when they actually do eat, bulimics even more so). The idea being, if you’re going to put anything into your body, it has to be nutritious as possible. I know that sounds like something obvious that everyone should do but when you’re having 0-1000 calories a day it’s much more important if you don’t want to lose all your hair. Either definition, eating healthy as possible is a good thing though!
Same! On my last flight I had only junk food the whole long day. Ryanair has vegan lasagna now... And when I arrived I ordered vegan pizza. But now, 2 days back, only whole foods so far.
@paul w No. Some vegan junk is of all natural ingredients, but it might be high in sodium or have oil. I just found some vegan nacho cheese It tastes so good. All natural but higher in salt
@Cindy Wallis If people aren't telling you you're obsessed about your nutrition then you're eating to much shit. th-cam.com/video/-u2LNr-wizk/w-d-xo.html
There is a difference between choosing to not eat something or choosing to only eat specific foods because you want to look after your own health, and getting anxiety and panicking in situations where you might not be able to eat your own normal food. Like if you went to a restaurant and start having a panick attack and thinking 'oh no I'm going to die' because there is some oil on your food or something like that, I would call that orthorexia and is definitely not healthy, and will cause more harm to your health that any food ever will.
That's me! When I'm at the grocery store I look at what other people have in their carts and the whole time I think "Don't eat that!" Or, "hey, nice that you're getting that pre-packaged iceberg lettuce salad mix to go with all those Cheetos and hot dogs." I am trying to have compassion because I know some folks just don't really know how seriously their food choices are affecting them, but I still judge what they have in their shopping carts.
My "orthorexia" started when I was on a road trip, it wasn't easy to always get that amount of healthy food that I need to be full. So I started eating rather nothing than eating anything that might be a little unhealthy. I was starving while my friends had pizza and oily pasta. That time I lost a lot of weight (I was skinny before). Nevertheless I continued doing lots of sports back home and thought my new, very skinny body was even more beautiful and healthy. Very soon my doctor told me I have the same symptoms as with anorexia. No period, hair loss, yellowish skin, light depression, no energy, lack of hormons... I definetely know that eating healthy (WFPB) is best but I'm still in recovery and I will never prefer no food at all over unhealthy food again. It made me ill. (Sorry for potentially bad English, this isn't my mother tongue)
As much as previous videos contain a good literature review....this video is extremely biased and possibly harmful. It's like saying washing your hands and locking doors is good right? Therefore OCD can't exist....BUT it does. And the compulsions can truly ruin lives. I have struggled with orthorexia (or complusive health obsession) for a few years. I do eat fine if I know exactly what is in my food, and I can prepare it all without oil, only using whole fats, no meat, dairy, additives etc... But if someone else made it, if it came from a restaurant or supermarket? That's a whole other story. I cried at my birthday because I couldn't eat my birthday cake. I would lie awake at night trying to figure out how I could bring enough food in my bag for special occasions. I couldn't engage in aspects of life that meant a lot to me. Have a milky latte in a special coffee shop, trying my mum's lasagne, having champagne on my graduation day, or traveling to a new country. For me, physical health to the degree Michael greger promotes completely ruined my mental health. Every day food and exercise routine was top priority and the rest of life was just "filler,". Now I am learning to recover from "orthorexia" and engage with balance again. I do still love eating plant based and exercise...but I love the freedom of being able to relax and enjoy any food that come my way. Broccoli, organic beans, or cake and cheese pizza. I know it's not the same for everyone, but that is my experience of orthorexia, and I hope it shows another side to this biased video. Xxx
Orthorexia/anorexia/bulimia/BED = "I want attention and/or drama in my life and/or I think cheese pizza and candy bars are food - but feel guilty about it so I need to classify myself as a victim so no one can call me out on my bullshit. Poor me. My psychiatrist and drug manufacturers have my back on this so it's indisputable. Don't make me grow up!"
That's not what orthorexia is. Someone with orthorexia would avoid eating apples because it wasn't organic. They literally believe that even certain healthy foods aren't healthy enough to be eaten - to the point of malnuroshment. Like avoiding steamed broccoli because "cooking is bad".
Not what orthorexia is. You're talking about being mindful about your food. Orthorexia means an *obsession* over the quality, cleanness and healthfulness of your food. It means you can't go to a friend's house for dinner or to a restaurant and eat an otherwise healthy meal because someone else bought and prepared the ingredients. It's reading one study that says something bad about a healthy food like tomatoes and now you are afraid to eat tomatoes. It's revolving your entire day about planning your food, skipping meals if the food doesn't meet your standards (maybe the salad dressings has a little oil in it) and feeling guilt and anxiety if you've eaten the wrong food. You are afraid of or avoid social situations where food is served or make up excuses why you can't eat what's offered. Weight loss might not be the driving motivator behind it but because so many foods/meals are seen as not good enough, becoming underweight and malnourished is a real danger for orthorexia sufferers.
You've really missed the issue here. Orthorexia is an obsession with 'trying to be healthy', not an obsession with or dedication to being healthy. Orthorexia can be life-destroying. An orthorexic will limit themselves to a limited range of 'healthy' foods, and they might not be healthy, for example, they may avoid vegetables that they suspect are non-organic to the point of eating none, or develop of fear of all processed foods to the point where the thought that something may have a tsp of flour in it means they can't eat that food. They will isolate themselves to avoid a situation where food is not under their control, and it can be comorbid with, or lead to, other eating disorders. It is also commonly comorbid with OCD.
It is more about obsessing over and being anxious and overexercising rather than choosing to eat healthy food. The 39 yr case is just a case of someone who was an anorexic who collapsed at the gym- the key words are previous anorexic and possibly the overexercising. It is not about making the right choices when it comes to diet. Most of what we eat has sugar in it and it is slowly poisoning us. I am eating healthy these days but I am not thinking about calories, whether the food is organic or not or if they go over the carbs limit for the day. Eating healthy is not something most of us do. We start with sugar in our cereal and have sugar laced condiments throughout the day and a pint of ice-cream to satisfy our cravings. Eating sugar in small amounts is ok. The 53 yr old guy is a bad example of orthorexia. Just because he lost weight does not mean he has it. If he is clearly obsessing about it and if it is ruining his life then it is. Like Stephanie Buttermore who is restricting, overeating and overexercising and has amenorrhea coz of it. She had an eating disorder and it was very clear.
I had a heart attack at 47 so I quit smoking, greatly reduced my alcohol consumption, got on the treadmill, eliminated meat and dairy, started eating a plant-based whole foods diet, lowered the stress in my life, and began sitting meditation and yoga. I'm now in my sixties and weigh what I did in my 20s. I read books, attend the symphony regularly and sail when the weather permits it. Should I start eating bacon and eggs, Kentucky Fried Chicken, potato chips, and fast food burgers and fries, and chase it all with a six-pack of beer every other day? I'd hate to have people call me kray kray.
You're missing a big part of the definition. Eating healthy isn't orthorexia. Obsessing over what you think is healthy eating is the issue. From the nationaleatingdisorders page: "Compulsive checking of ingredient lists and nutritional labels An increase in concern about the health of ingredients Cutting out an increasing number of food groups (all sugar, all carbs, all dairy, all meat, all animal products) An inability to eat anything but a narrow group of foods that are deemed ‘healthy’ or ‘pure’ Unusual interest in the health of what others are eating Spending hours per day thinking about what food might be served at upcoming events Showing high levels of distress when ‘safe’ or ‘healthy’ foods aren’t available Obsessive following of food and ‘healthy lifestyle’ blogs on Twitter and Instagram Body image concerns may or may not be present"
Orthorexia isn't always about actual health, though, right? Isn't it more the sufferer has a perceived notion of what is healthy, causing them to categorize 'healthy' and 'unhealthy' foods not based on fact. Water fasting, colonics, juice fasts, fear of specific macronutrients... I associate these things more with orthorexia than just eating WFPB. If someone is managing their food through compulsive restriction and is terrified of what they deem an unhealthy food and it causes them actual distress... it's more than just eating healthy.
You did sorta skip the part where he became socially isolated, though this probably means he needed new friends and strategies to get them. I think we all learn to relax a bit on family and friends with time, but I don't really miss spending time with people who center every festive gathering around eating something dead and engaging in unhealthy behavior even if they're family.
I have this because most of my day is focused on what I'm gonna eat, the time I do it to digest it perfectly, and picky about quality and cleanliness. I realized it a while ago after being depressed that other vegans were eating delicious food and I'm stuck with the same foods. I know that when ppl fall into strictness and disorders, they deprive themselves of taste and the ease of convenience and ending up dropping a vegan life which is unfortunate. My strictness came about to achieve clear skin which has been working but I still want me some vegan donuts. Everyday...
It's not just friends and acquaintances who throw the term around. It's also insurance companies who are upset that you dared to go off your medications (after the plant-based-diet-aware doctor approved!).
I'm conflicted because i think i might had it when i was trying to clear my skin. There's still a debate weither the food we eat makes a difference with acne or not, but having tried everything i've decided to see for myself. Basically i looked through a lot of forums in search of foods that caused others to break out. After i had a pretty substantial list - i cut all these things out. Nothing with GI above 35, no tomatos, potatos, bananas, watermelons, citrus, eggplants, any type of beans or nuts, no dairy or meat, no seafood or seaweed, of course no sweets, bread or pastry, no butter on condiments and a while buhcn of E-numbers. It got me very stressed but i couldn't stop because i wanted to clear my skin so desparately. I didn't starve myself or anything, but i was constantly thinking about what i could and couldn't eat. It wasn't the same as "just eating healthy" for me
Dude, you're not a psychiatrist. It's getting offensive at this point, honestly. You're using very mild examples (a man who is eating only organic) when there are people who literally have a full mental breakdown about eating something they don't think is "pure" or "clean" enough. Call it whatever you will, but there are people who are genuinely struggling and you're refusing to acknowledge it. Sure, it may not always be as serious as anorexia or bulimia, but it causes psychological distress nonetheless. This video comes off as misinformed at best and outright belittling at worst.
Orthorexia/anorexia/bulimia/BED = "I want attention and/or drama in my life and/or I think cheese pizza and candy bars are food - but feel guilty about it so I need to classify myself as a victim so no one can call me out on my bullshit. Poor me. My psychiatrist and drug manufacturers have my back on this so it's indisputable. Don't make me grow up!"
@@SkwidyDev Technically you're the one saying that you disagree with 2+2=4 in that analogy. Orthorexia is debated, but the scientific consensus is that anorexia and bulimia are real disorders.
Slow death via bad food is far greater a problem in our society. I usually carry a healthy snack because the vast majority of food available in restaurants today is garbage. Once my friends and I were hungry, but the only things around were fast food. They ate Taco Bell; I just stayed hungry, as I'd forgotten my snack. My bestie was wildly upset, as if I'd die if I went 5 hours without eating. It was strange. They ate their greasy, salty processed foods(even the 'beans' in the basic burrito are laden with unpronouneable substances) and I did a tiny fast. I'd likely be viewed as the one with a problem, but I'm the only one in our social group with total cholesterol under 165 and an average bp of 107/62. My friends 'worry' about me because when 'normal' is desperately unhealthy, someone dodging the vast sea of processed crap food is 'the freak'.
And all of the "proud to be orthorexic!" comments are just...depressing. Honestly. People are suffering and you're practically laughing in their face. :(
Hakuna Matata Agreed. Orthorexia is real, and it’s not meant to be diagnosed to those who are eating healthy, it’s meant for those who are obsessing to the point that it negatively impacts their lives.
@@Phoebe907 the thing is, the problem with the disorder is not in the healthy eating. it's in the anxiety and obsession that surrounds it. anxiety and obsession can literally surround anything, it's arbitrary when psychology diagnoses fragment it into all these individual things when it's all the same thing with a different outfit.
My suffering greatly diminished when I became orthorexic. And so did the suffering of my mother when she became orthorexic. To us orthorexia has been a great blessing. And I am going to start a watermelon fast soon so there is no doubt that I am orthorexic.
@@lovebirds360 does it? my point is that orthorexia as a disease name shouldn't even exist. its stupid to imply that eating really healthy is a problem at all. the problem is anxiety and OCD.
Well everyone who eats like this doesn't have a eating disorder, but there certainly are people with eating disorders who eat like this. Just because it's not harming their bodies like someone who starves themselves or throws up does doesn't mean they're not ill mentally.
If you don’t want to go into your senior years supporting doctors and pharmaceutical companies you must be ill. Don’t you know that in the US we have people choosing which medicines to skip because they can’t afford all of their prescriptions? Then there you are trying to follow a healthy diet with research that shows it. can prevent and reverse diseases. Who do you think you are? PS People who follow the SAD diet know you are secretly judging them for being sheep. Therefore they have no choice but to label you as cult members and/or pretend you are some how a member of a religion without knowing it (even it you think you’re a Christian.) “Okay, you caught me. I actually give a damn about my health. You better put me in a straight jacket.” Free US Citizen
If you say you are 'proud to be orthorexic', you DO NOT have orthorexia. Just because somebody cares about their health, it does not mean they necessarily have the knowledge to truly eat healthy. What if an orthorexic person was to eat a ketogenic diet? They would not experience health benefits, despite making a 'healthy diet' a focus in their life. These videos are insulting to people actually suffering from the restrictive eating disorder.
.. and here I thought that was just called being stupid. Why defend stupid people, give their manufactured illness legitimacy, and shower them with pity and attention? It only makes it worse.
Orthorexia/anorexia/bulimia = I want attention and/or drama in my life and I think cheese pizza and candy bars are food - but feel guilty about it so I need to classify myself as a victim so no one can call me out on my bullshit. Poor me. My psychiatrist and drug manufacturers have my back on this so it's indisputable.
Thank you, Dr Greger! Another intelligent and relevant video yet again. Its always a pleasure to learn new stuff from you. I agree that the people coining terms like these should take some responsibility for the fallout from them.
How do you feel about people refusing to eat certain foods on occasion, to the point of extreme anxiety in situations that involve foods they have deemed unhealthy? I do think that healthy eating is what is needed for humanity, but if you're at the point where one slice of vegan sugar free cake or vegan macaroni at Christmas makes you so upset you won't go near it, and your daily diet is only steamed, juiced or raw green vegetables, this is too extreme. Clearly vegetables are healthy, and we need them to survive and thrive. But we also need a variety of other foods to reach nutritional needs. I feel like orthorexia is more about an unhealthy obsession with health, as ridiculous as that might sound. In this sense most patients diagnosed with orthorexia seem to show signs of obsession with exercise (which is technically exercise bulimia) and obsession with not over eating or possibly with under eating via high volume calorically dilute foods (similar to anorexia). Orthorexia seems like a slightly healthier variant of anorexia to me
About 15 years ago, my friend and I along with our kids were at the beach and she offered a plate lunch (chicken, macaroni salad, and white rice) to a homeless man with visible mental disturbance who was going through the garbage cans and he wouldn't take it because he said it was unhealthy. That is orthorexia. The sarcasm and condescending tone of this video is unprofessional and it's obvious that the narrator simply has not encountered or lived with individuals suffering from orthorexia nervosa.
Imagine there being a disease invented for people who turned down cigarettes in the 50's and told other people it's gonna cause them incredible pain and suffering before leading to an early death.
This exact thing happened to me. MDs so often seem obsessed with diagnosing... even for getting healthier, especially if you do it without their prescriptions.
I think this is what happened to poor Izzy Davis (vegan youtuber). She had a past history of anorexia and fell back into it a bit and her family had her start seeing a therapist (which she made videos of) Who demonized the lifestyle and made her feel that the diet was extreme and the cause of her weight loss. Izzy is a type A personality and took veganism very seriously and was brainwashed to think that her diligence with her diet was wrong and the root of her problem. So, she quit. It's sad that this diagnosis is probably going to be what makes her I'll in the end.
I’m sorry, but this perception is very wrong. It’s easy to laugh orthorexia off when you have a healthy relationship with food in general. Try to laugh it off after you feel so guilty that you want to phisically punish yourself all day after having a small piece of your birthday cake or after you start to avoid going out with people in general, because you can’t stand to sit at one table with them. Eating disorders are a real mental health issue, and they come in very different forms.
Hugely ill-researched video by someone who thinks he knows it all. He sure as hell knows nothing about psychological aspects related to eating habits. If only he had interviewed a couple of people with ON...
Dr. Steven Bratman is the registrant for orthorexia.com so he seems to believe this is a real thing. I could think of some recent ex-plant-based/vegans that fit some of his criteria under the "Tipping Point" subheader of "Healthy Eating vs. Orthorexia". Most recent is a former Ninja Warrior competitor that now wants to kill his own food with his "his own hands". Although I don't think that drinking urine would be classified as "clean eating". This one is a conundrum. I feel sorry for the guy, though. He, and others, have become obsessed with their food and I think part of that has to do with their TH-cam Influencer status. Perhaps it is YTorexia. I'm not making light of their situations because many of these people continue to go to extremes and it may center around their desire for attention online and their needs for control. Anyhow, it's an interesting topic and there may be some validity to it, but it concerns me that there will be some kind of drug soon to be marketed specifically for this classification. Anything for a buck.
👍😊. Glad to see this video. Amazing how much hostility is generated, no least among those suffering from lifestyle diseases brought on by 'normal food', when one (I myself) is seen to be concerned about healthful food choices.
The "irony" is that when I followed Dr. Gregor's Nutrition information, I felt incredibly worse and yes had an unhealthy relationship with food. The hyperbole that animal products are the cause of most disease IS an unhealthy and unrealistic given that humans have submitted on them for millennia.
The idea that someone would try to take common sense, like the idea that it is good to take care of your own health, and make it a disorder is apalling. What is next? “Saving people from a burning building disorder?”
Orthorexia cannot be a diagnostic category of dysfunction, because it is not an essential complex, but only another randomly fashioned example of an underlying, essential complex in question - this essential complex may be stupidity - in the case where false and dysfunctional concepts of health are defended with fundamentalist conviction (breatharianism, paleo, etc), it may be survivalism of the kind, that is common to all humans and thus would not qualify as a disorder or dysfunction, or, in addition to that, it may be egocentricity, in a case when one obsessive narrative about survivalism is exaggerated to the extend of neglect of other necessities of life, like when people build underground shelters to protect their family from the unpredictability of life or collect weapons, that scare everyone away, instead of saving some money - finally it may be disinformation, which is a collective state, not an individual disorder. Also a believe in Orthorexia is often justified by factually invalid concepts, such as "balance is always safer than elimination" or "the dose makes the poison" mistaken to mean "nothing in moderation is poisonous".
This is ridiculous. Sure Anorexia Exists, But Ortherxia certainly does not. Its a myth. Because let me explain. Any body that fixates on super immaculate clean pure eating constantly and never touches any junk and is so fixated on it but still eats enough and is healthy. Thats optimal! Like me i do this. Most people would consider me a professional ortherexic if you saw my diet. There is nobody that eats cleaner than me, i wont even eat anything enjoyable for christmas! My dad visits me only a couple times a year and wants to get a burger and even though its one time i wont do it. Everything has to be spot on. I have no flexibility. This is called obsessed from The outsiders but its actually called dedicated. And this is what humans are made to eat. Only clean food. Because of how society has normalised a normal diet and government doctors are all about making money buy recommending eat more refined food because remember its wealth not health for them! If everyone ate super clean. No body would be sick, therefore they make no money! They cant cope with having everyone well and eating properly so they make sure everyone normalises eating crap and normalise obesity because thats what makes people sick and thats how money is made on their behalf. Thats why doctors are so against super clean eating because it equals wellness and no money for them. They recommend balance and food freedom which leads to more health problems with all the crap and more doctor money visits. Conclusion So, doctors with this mentality to make everyone convinced what normal eating is and everyone else who has normalized eating ( bread noodles pasta wraps buns chips mayo chocolate lollies cookies flavoured stuff ) on a daily basis. Will tell you, you have an eating disorder because you eat real food and never touch any of this stuff. But you dont, your only dedicated. You cant go out with friends and have fun because your dedicated ! You have no flexibility because your dedication! This is amazing no body has this but me really. Your just dedicated to eating really clean. Dont change.
I love your videos so much but I was very disappointed with your comments on orthorexia. I understand that being conscious and committed to plant based eating is beneficial, and we should all care about what we consume. But the big part of this disorder you missed is the psychological aspect. Someone suffering from orthorexia is obsessed with food and purity, making it their main concern in life. This may cause intense anxiety and/or OCD that can quickly take over someone’s life in a negative way, much like the those with anorexia or bulimia. There’s a difference between a healthy diet and and unhealthy obsession with food
.. and here I thought that was just called being stupid. Why defend stupid people, give their manufactured illness legitimacy, and shower them with pity and attention? It only makes it worse. Orthorexia/anorexia/bulimia = I want attention and/or drama in my life and I think cheese pizza and candy bars are food - but feel guilty about it so I need to classify myself as a victim so no one can call me out on my bullshit. Poor me. My psychiatrist and drug manufacturers have my back on this so it's indisputable.
SkwidyDev You don’t believe in mental health issues or? You’re clearly a troubled human being. I hope you don’t have to deal with mental illness the way so many others do.
Yeah sure. In your context it would seem Orthorexia doesn't exist. It does. I'm at the point where I feel unless I only eat 100% fruit I will never heal. This has come about from watching herbalists and 'nutritionists' on TH-cam who say exactly that ie the only way to heal is on an all fruit diet, forget even raw green veges. I've become scared to eat anything other than fruit and am miserable. Before, when my diet was vegan but had fruit, as well as a sweet potato a green salad, and/or Steamed veg every day, I felt I was really happy doing that. now I've been brainwashed to think that's unhealthy. I need to get off TH-cam.
Do a video on treating eating disorders with MARIJUANA! Seriously, the stoner munchies can be life-saving. Salute from The Netherlands! Now where's my bong...
I thinkbit becomes an ED when it becomes obsessive and impacts on emotional and mental wellbeing, social life snd the like. Seems like this video is trivialising what could be a genuine mental struggle for some.
While I truly enjoyed the video and laughed frequently, and I do not think it belongs in the DSM, it's not like there's nothing to the orthorexia idea. A great number of people have become so confused about what is healthy and what is not healthy, with good reason, that they have adopted some very unhealthy diets - like for example, 30 bananas a day, or deciding to go hungry for extended periods rather than eating white potatoes or white rice. So, maybe we should do more than just laugh.
Let.s assume for a second that orthorexia is real then wouldn.t all the standard diet people claiming they eat meat and dairy because they need it in order to remain healthy or because it.s part o a heathy diet be considered orthorexic? İ mean İ personally hear the people around me clinging with their every strength onto that statement whenever diet comes up: but you need meat blabla, everything in moderation and there needs to be a balance... That.s maybe mirrored orthorexia or something...
I wish that you had studied up on this topic more thoroughly before mocking this diagnosis. This is a psychological issue of extremes that people with certain personalities are prone to develop. I hope this isn't an example of how deeply you delve into your other topics, or maybe I shouldn't put so much stock into your work after all. You sounded defensive and biased as though you have some cognitive dissonance going on. As much as I have appreciated your videos, they are just the type that can be triggers for those with eating disorders. I know of several women who have taken their "healthy" eating to an extreme and it literally killed them. I am so disappointed with this video.
Nothing wrong with a plant based diet but like a lot of things in life it can be taken to extreme to the point of ignoring social gatherings because you don't like their food or every conversation has to get back to diet , or judging or ridiculing people because they don't eat like you....that is the height of arrogance and smugness. Plant based docs may mean well but do they know how many in the vegan community have become obsessed with what they put in their mouth everyday? I don't think so
I have had anorexia for 25 years. I go through times (like now) where I will fixate on foods and become obsessed to the point where I will only eat a handful of foods. I become convinced that if I eat other foods something awful will happen. If I read or hear anything negative about a food I am eating I will latch on to that and have anxiety to the point where I will not eat it anymore. It could just be part of the anorexia and having a malnourished brain but it is definitely a problem. I think if an obsession with foods gets in the way of living life and is a cause of distress then it is disordered eating. Focusing on your health in ways that aren't effecting the quality of your life (or are improving your health) is not disordered, but rather responsible. I plan on always eating WFPB, but I need to relax and eat some of the perfectly healthy foods that I am afraid of.
If i understand you correctly, you stop eating as a response to feeling fear.
This is what I do:
"Spirit of fear, in the name of (who ever is the best, highest) i command you to leave, return to the source of your origin.
(Who ever is the highest and best for all) i call upon you to show me who i truly am."
Experience the answer.
"Is there anything I need to forgive?"
Watch the answer
Forgive / be forgiven.
Let me know how it goes.
Thank you
Maybe try to redirect your attention to the fact that eating only few foods is detrimental to gut bacteria and health, and eating a variety of (wfpb) them is better? Best of luck with dealing with your situation, stay strong (you sound like it)
Sorry that you've suffered like this. I agree with what you said and I see how health food obsessions can contribute to problems in people dealing with anorexia and other mental health problems, but I don't think it would be reasonable to diagnose anyone with orthorexia when there are other underlying issues. But I do think that medical professions should be trained to identify how restricted diets could be either a guise for anorexia or could make it worse.
Sorry to hear that. Must be hard. Its actually quite amazing what the human body can put up with. Like those people eating fast food, smoking and drinking everyday and it often Takes 30 or 40yrs doing that to get really sick. Its actually what you do 80 to 90% of the time that's important, rather than eating perfectly all the time. The body can easily deal with a bit of crap from time to time.
If people aren't telling you you're obsessed about your nutrition then you're eating to much shit. th-cam.com/video/-u2LNr-wizk/w-d-xo.html
These Orthorexia videos (as well as the articles discussed) miss quite a few points about the criteria of this disorder that should be taken into consideration.
- Whilst Anorexia is summarised by 'avoiding food for fear of gaining weight', Orthorexia could be described as 'avoiding unhealthy food for fear of getting a disease.' They take it to a level of obsession, where it is on their minds all day, carefully planning meals to make sure they tick all the right boxes. The thought of having a red light or even amber light food is intolerable and can cause anxiety. Green light food are the only ever acceptable. Being in a social situation where they might be offered unhealthy food might cause panic and becomes undesirable, leading to isolation. Meals must be controlled to precision and it can be very distressing if someone else were to prepare a meal for them. This means eating in restaurants or in public is very difficult or entirely avoided, because even the most health-conscious caterers look at you funny for asking if they will prepare a meal without oil. The guilt that follows after having something that should be avoided is excessive. Maintaining this level of perfection is almost impossible which can lead to an all-or-nothing situation where if a mistake is made (something unhealthy is consumed), the day has been ruined and further unhealthy foods eaten, increasing the guilt and shame that follows. The obsessive avoidance of unhealthy food can lead to under-eating, skipping meals when there is no alternative, and of course extreme weight loss over time. Again, it's not about viewing the foods as 'fattening' or full of calories like an Anorexia sufferer would: it's the fear that eating these foods WILL give you a terrible disease.
I hope this explains more of the mental distress which comes from the health-obsessed style eating disorder. I'm not suggesting Orthorexia is defined enough to be accepted as a standalone illness and is possibly more of a subdivision of Anorexia, but it shouldn't be shrugged off as an attack on those who are just being health-conscious because there is definitely more to it than these studies portray.
Thoughts of Decay Amen Amen. If one misses the signs in practice of Orthorexia they could thereby be missing Anorexia, A Typical Anorexia, Bulimia etc. etc. that in some cases goes with it. Studies show most folks with true eating disorders transistion between both or multiple disorders. Ignorance to this fact could make patients think they may not have an issue when they do truly have a problem and not seek early intervention which can potentially keep a person out of hospital or save their life. Not saying that eating healthy or exercising is not the best thing for the body. But restriction and over exercise is ... moderation is key to all things.
@@Katie_Jo_21 Thanks. It's concerning to me that if someone like me had seen a plant based doctor, they would just give me a thumbs up and tell me to carry on because of my exceptionally good diet. It's not as simple as that and shouldn't be taken lightly.
Wait. Are you limiting orthorexia , saying people have a fear they might get a disease if each time they eat they aren't getting optimal nutrition? No, its not fear of disease, it encompasses so much more than that. The reasons are different for everyone. Some reasons are to discipline oneself. Some are for the benefits of endurance and stamina. Some are just to seek attention by being different. You can't label it as - Fear of a disease.
@@thinkinoutloud.1 Hi, no I'm just trying to explain why it should be taken seriously from my own experience because I felt somewhat invalidated. Whatever consequences of eating unhealthy foods threaten the individual enough to cause anxiety and obsessive behaviour would make sense I guess.
@@moccles yes, i hear you. And as i said sometimes its not fear of food it can be obstinate defiance against the norm of societal practices. It could be a way to express agressiveness in people who are just pissed with things they hate about life. I dont know the psychological terms but i can say that some people complain about mediocre food, in order to scold and bully.
Great Video...I wanted to add my person experience to the discussion. The thing about Orthorexia is that it becomes and obsession. I know my obsession with healthy eating led to restriction, and cutting certain healthy foods (like healthy fats and carbs and beans) out of my diet because in my mind they weren't "healthy enough". When I was diagnosed with an ED it was explained that Orthorexia wasn't just about healthy eating in general it was about what the person themselves considered healthy (which may in actuality not be healthy thinking or behavior). It wasn't uncommon for me to skip meals or leave out whole food groups, which isn't healthy, but at the time I convinced myself it was. To other people it may have looked that way too. This obsessive type behavior is what led to my anorexia and binge eating. I think that is something to consider. What are the people who have Orthorexia actually eating and doing? Are they really just living a healthy lifestyle or is it an obsession that impedes on their everyday life? Thanks!
If people aren't telling you you're obsessed about your nutrition then you're eating to much shit. th-cam.com/video/-u2LNr-wizk/w-d-xo.html
I'm concerned that these videos could fuel the ED voice of someone who has a restrictive ED. When you have an ED, it will constantly make you look for signs that you're doing the right thing. Signs that you're 'not sick enough', or that you're restricting 'for health', so the ED can continue to have a hold on your life. Trying to eat healthier DOES NOT equal orthorexia. It's when you feel as though food is controlling your life and preventing health.
Orthorexia/anorexia/bulimia/BED = "I want attention and/or drama in my life and/or I think cheese pizza and candy bars are food - but feel guilty about it so I need to classify myself as a victim so no one can call me out on my bullshit. Poor me. My psychiatrist and drug manufacturers have my back on this so it's indisputable. Don't make me grow up!"
I think orthorexia could definitely be a real thing. The component that I believe would make it real, is that the 'healthy' part of it would refer to the psychology of the subject, not what healthy means to society. I know that makes no sense so let me explain. As a society, healthy means good. This word always has a good connotation. However, just like anorexia, I believe orthorexia would be when someone twists the idea of healthy within their own mind. For example, take the recent drama of all these ex-vegans. Many of them followed extreme diets they believed to be healthy. Someone may genuinely believe that eating and drinking nothing but water for 25 days is healthy. This could be an example of orthorexia, because they are obsessed with being healthy and doing what's best for their body without realizing or refusing to acknowledge that it is actually really bad for their body, or not healthy. Another example would be the whole freelee thing of only eating 30 something bananas a day. People do it as a way to be healthy, but it's actually harming them. I believe the definition of orthorexia would be the need to be 100% pure in terms of health, resulting in extreme obsessions and potentially dangerous diet choices. If you think about it it's just like ocd. There's nothing 'really' wrong with wanting to have a super clean environment. But when it becomes an obsession it usually becomes a problem.
Ellen McGrail Exactly! I love Dr. Gregor, but I think this video is a bit short sited. There’s nothing wrong with being as healthy as you can, but it’s wrong for people to call someone orthorexic just because they don’t eat pizza or whatever. But orthorexia is just what you’ve said, it’s a distorted view of what “healthy” really is, and it often becomes obsessive to the point that it negatively impacts your health because of restrictive dieting or fear of certain food groups that are actually healthy, like avocados. Perhaps we need to reframe the definition of “orthorexia,” because it certainly exists, but it’s more than someone merely wanting to live a healthy life.
So basically you think that orthorexia is when people disagree with you about what is healthy while living according to their own beliefs of what is healthy.
I think you know very little about fasting and OCD. Fasting is often done after extensive research and with great discipline. Often fasting is in a way the opposite of OCD. Suffers of OCD cannot control their own thoughts, while fasters often excel at controlling their own thoughts hence their ability to not give in to their desires of food.
Ive actually had orthorexia and its just like you said. I didn't eat healthy, I eat what I THOUGHT was healthy, which was very strict and way too little, lots of protein and vegetables, very little carbs and fat. I considered almost everything unhealthy and I worked out 1-2 per day. I lost around 17 kg (I was not overweight to begin with). I was OBSESSED with eating "heathy" and got anxiety every time I ate something I didn't consider healthy or skipped a workout. I would rather stay home than go out with friends because I didn't want to cheat on my diet or skip a workout.
It might be harder to tell if someone has orthorexia, since everyone has a different view on what's healthy and what's not, and ppl with orthorexia might not necessarily be underweight.
The issue is though that if you just avod processed foods you get lumped into the category of obsessive when really society is made for the amount of poor quality foods they eat.
The problem with orthorexia is that people become too underweight or even malnourished because of their obsessively "healthy" diet.
It's a fixation that can be dangerous. But it isn't meant as a clear classification as "Anorexia Nervosa".
People avoiding salt like the plaque and becoming iodine deficient while also having electrolyte imbalances.
People avoiding even healthy fats and therefore getting hormonal issues and brain fog.
Fasting and doing juice cleanses for "detoxification", destroying your gut in the process.
Going carnivore because of you deluding yourself into thinking that eating plants of any kind just fuels a sugar addiction.
Orthorexia is basically misinformed thinking constantly being endorsed by a fixation. You'll get sick if you keep doing your diet.
Obviously, doctors can easily see any kind of positive change as orthorexic, because getting your life together needs discipline.
So: No, professionals probably shouldn't diagnose orthorexia, because too many people have different ideas, as to what "Orthorexia Nervosa" even means.
However, professionals should address disordered eating patterns with their patients.
Earning your food, when it is in your healthy daily caloric limit, isn't healthy thinking.
Feeling like you aren't allowed to ever mess up on your diet, isn't healthy thinking.
Thinking that messing up once on your diet makes you eligible to binge, isn't healthy thinking.
Still avoiding nutrient dense foods because "drinking calories is bad", fats are bad", "I need to cleanse my gut first", isn't healthy thinking.
Professionals should also enlighten their patients about a healthy whole food plant-based diet and recommendable supplements like Vitamin B12.
This is the only video I've ever disagreed with and almost disliked with our good Doctor. Hes making jokes and poking fun, when it's a potentially very real thing. An obsession with health can mean ANYTHING in ANYBODYS mind. My idea of health is whole food plant based diet, limited oil, salt, and processed products. Look at all these ex-vegans idea of health. Not eating anything but water for 25 days??? That's an extreme need and addiction that should be diagnosable! I could never ever have the will power to actually go through with that. But like anorexics have the will power to not eat for days and days, orthorexics have the will power to do anything necessary to achieve what they believe is the perfect state of health! Even if it has detrimental effects on them, which they won't even realize because it's an addiction or obsession.
@Whats the frequency Kenneth please show me several reliable studies that say this has ever been a good thing.. we're not snakes. Our metabolism is designed so that we require and digest food much much faster
.. and here I thought that was just called being stupid. Why defend stupid people, give their manufactured illness legitimacy, and shower them with pity and attention? It only makes it worse.
I've only heard about orthorexia very recently and it's been from within the vegan community to describe some of the people who have quit veganism. The discussion I've seen using the term orthorexia has been saying that these people are so obsessed with fitness that instead of a simple whole foods, plant based diet they take it a step further and go on some unnecessary, highly restrictive diet (such as only eating fruit and not eating enough veggies) that causes them problems in the first place. The way you've been mentioning it in your videos is that simply eating a whole foods, plant based diet is seen as orthorexia, which is simply asinine as you point out.
Those so-called social media ex-vegans are not orthorexic. In fact they were doing the exact opposite of what orthorexics do. That’s what’s so confusing about the whole thing to me. People that only eat bananas for a month or water fast for a month are not eating healthy. They don’t fit the description of an “orthorexic” at all. It’s all just so utterly ridiculous. 🙄
@@TheBerkeleyBeauty As far as the water fast for a month, I assume you're referring to Tim Shieff, I wound't say he's orthorexic, I'd say he's just stupid
@Whats the frequency Kenneth Saying people have done it for "eons" is an appeal to tradition which is a type of logical fallacy, you need peer reviewed scientific studies to back up your claims
@Whats the frequency Kenneth It's not hypocritical to say that fasting for a month without consulting a doctor is not healthy. If you want to fast, do so in moderation and contact a doctor. If you want to do short term fasting then I don't think anything wrong with that, but fasting for abnormal lengths of time, like a month, could have long term health consequences
@Whats the frequency Kenneth Yeah, Angus Barbieri, a morbidly obese man fasted for a hair over one year under medical supervision plus being prescribed vitamins and supplements during his fast, I'd say that a morbidly obese man at almost 400 pounds fasting for a year is absolutely abnormal, a normal healthy person at a healthy weight would not fast for one year.
My hospital was serving no protein dense food, other than animal and bread or porridge with allergenic soy mixed into it - upon refusing both i was stuck with 30g of protein from bananas, rice and potatoes, vitamin juice, 1900kcals - and was repeatedly accused of not eating enough. But I ate ALL of their bananas. They couldn't organize more than 3. And apparently didn't know how to open a can of beans either. Miraculously I lost 5-6kg in 3 weeks, not including (sodium-infusion-)water weight. Probably 2kg muscles. Kitchen personnel was trying to convincing me, that i needed to have bone broth and a nurse was trying to convince me, that bananas cause indigestion but at least the chief doc realized that bananas were the most healthy thing in my diet and that i should eat more of them. If only there had been any more. Uniklinik, MA, Ger.
Big yikes Dr.G, Orthorexia =/= eating healthy.
It is the obsession with what one thinks is healthy-- even when it is detrimental (e.g. a meat only diet). Luckily society isn't shaming people for their weight as much, but instead one is shamed for their health-- even when poor nutrition isn't the primary cause. This shame + and obsessive need for control == eating disorders.
Really harmful messaging in this series. Not significantly different from dismissing anorexia by citing the health benefits of losing weight.
I think that most people who think meat is healthy are just misinformed and not mentally ill.
@@oneheckofabanana2016 I agree. I was referring to "carnivore" diets which restrict food to only meat. Any adverse affects of this are rationalized as "not being strict enough", and things get worse. Dr.G's new video thankfully acknowledges this sort of behavior (but writes it off as OCD, but I would argue is still an eating disorder).
People should be shamed for their weight and unhealthy lifestyle.
For those who dont want to read my long paragraph: it should be a real thing. It's just like ocd. There's nothing 'really' wrong with wanting a super clean environment right? But once it becomes an obsession it becomes a problem. It ruins people's lives. And this does to, and it's almost worse because it's actually harming your body.
Oh nonono...
You must understand this is not about food. This is about the mental and spiritual ability to moderate life and special situations that require us to be flexible.
Oz Ilan - You’re suggesting people be “flexible” with their health to make others comfortable? 🤔
@@TheBerkeleyBeauty 👏
@@TheBerkeleyBeauty If I hadn't eaten anything today n I have to choice between fasting n eating smthn, the answer is clear.
I had an eating disorder, two years ago I would've chosen differently
My favorite Doc, with another stellar video! Good one sir.
That was a masterpiece Dr. Greger. I feel great now that I have been diagnosed! Keep on speaking truth to power!
As someone who’s spent a not so good amount of time on anorexia forums - I feel like the term has adopted some sort of validity but definitely not what the media describes it as. “Orthorexics” in those circles are usually people who are basically healthy eating anorexics (a lot of anorexics eat crap when they actually do eat, bulimics even more so). The idea being, if you’re going to put anything into your body, it has to be nutritious as possible. I know that sounds like something obvious that everyone should do but when you’re having 0-1000 calories a day it’s much more important if you don’t want to lose all your hair. Either definition, eating healthy as possible is a good thing though!
I personally currently love eating 80-90% whole food plant based, with 10-20% vegan junk food just for fun.
Anyone else?
Same! On my last flight I had only junk food the whole long day. Ryanair has vegan lasagna now...
And when I arrived I ordered vegan pizza. But now, 2 days back, only whole foods so far.
Watchout, "normal" people will think you're crazy 😅
paul w yes, potato chips are salty pieces of plastic
@paul w No. Some vegan junk is of all natural ingredients, but it might be high in sodium or have oil. I just found some vegan nacho cheese It tastes so good. All natural but higher in salt
Proud to be orthorexic!
@Cindy Wallis If people aren't telling you you're obsessed about your nutrition then you're eating to much shit. th-cam.com/video/-u2LNr-wizk/w-d-xo.html
@@mikeskylark1594 then you aren't orthorexic :)
There is a difference between choosing to not eat something or choosing to only eat specific foods because you want to look after your own health, and getting anxiety and panicking in situations where you might not be able to eat your own normal food. Like if you went to a restaurant and start having a panick attack and thinking 'oh no I'm going to die' because there is some oil on your food or something like that, I would call that orthorexia and is definitely not healthy, and will cause more harm to your health that any food ever will.
I’m Nancy and I’m an orthorexic. I secretly judge others for eating meat-lovers’ pizza. 😂
That's me! When I'm at the grocery store I look at what other people have in their carts and the whole time I think "Don't eat that!" Or, "hey, nice that you're getting that pre-packaged iceberg lettuce salad mix to go with all those Cheetos and hot dogs." I am trying to have compassion because I know some folks just don't really know how seriously their food choices are affecting them, but I still judge what they have in their shopping carts.
My "orthorexia" started when I was on a road trip, it wasn't easy to always get that amount of healthy food that I need to be full. So I started eating rather nothing than eating anything that might be a little unhealthy. I was starving while my friends had pizza and oily pasta. That time I lost a lot of weight (I was skinny before). Nevertheless I continued doing lots of sports back home and thought my new, very skinny body was even more beautiful and healthy. Very soon my doctor told me I have the same symptoms as with anorexia. No period, hair loss, yellowish skin, light depression, no energy, lack of hormons...
I definetely know that eating healthy (WFPB) is best but I'm still in recovery and I will never prefer no food at all over unhealthy food again. It made me ill.
(Sorry for potentially bad English, this isn't my mother tongue)
I just watched this while eating my bean burrito inside Taco Bell. I was trying not to bust out laughing in the middle of the establishment. 🤣🤣🤣
As much as previous videos contain a good literature review....this video is extremely biased and possibly harmful. It's like saying washing your hands and locking doors is good right? Therefore OCD can't exist....BUT it does. And the compulsions can truly ruin lives. I have struggled with orthorexia (or complusive health obsession) for a few years. I do eat fine if I know exactly what is in my food, and I can prepare it all without oil, only using whole fats, no meat, dairy, additives etc... But if someone else made it, if it came from a restaurant or supermarket? That's a whole other story. I cried at my birthday because I couldn't eat my birthday cake. I would lie awake at night trying to figure out how I could bring enough food in my bag for special occasions. I couldn't engage in aspects of life that meant a lot to me. Have a milky latte in a special coffee shop, trying my mum's lasagne, having champagne on my graduation day, or traveling to a new country. For me, physical health to the degree Michael greger promotes completely ruined my mental health. Every day food and exercise routine was top priority and the rest of life was just "filler,". Now I am learning to recover from "orthorexia" and engage with balance again. I do still love eating plant based and exercise...but I love the freedom of being able to relax and enjoy any food that come my way. Broccoli, organic beans, or cake and cheese pizza. I know it's not the same for everyone, but that is my experience of orthorexia, and I hope it shows another side to this biased video. Xxx
Orthorexia/anorexia/bulimia/BED = "I want attention and/or drama in my life and/or I think cheese pizza and candy bars are food - but feel guilty about it so I need to classify myself as a victim so no one can call me out on my bullshit. Poor me. My psychiatrist and drug manufacturers have my back on this so it's indisputable. Don't make me grow up!"
Now I know what’s wrong with me! 😂😂😂
I know what's wrong with you (and me): we live in a society that thinks eating junk is normal and eating healthy is freaky 🤔
Eating apples instead of candy bars is a disorder.....sure.
That's not what orthorexia is. Someone with orthorexia would avoid eating apples because it wasn't organic. They literally believe that even certain healthy foods aren't healthy enough to be eaten - to the point of malnuroshment. Like avoiding steamed broccoli because "cooking is bad".
Not what orthorexia is. You're talking about being mindful about your food. Orthorexia means an *obsession* over the quality, cleanness and healthfulness of your food. It means you can't go to a friend's house for dinner or to a restaurant and eat an otherwise healthy meal because someone else bought and prepared the ingredients. It's reading one study that says something bad about a healthy food like tomatoes and now you are afraid to eat tomatoes. It's revolving your entire day about planning your food, skipping meals if the food doesn't meet your standards (maybe the salad dressings has a little oil in it) and feeling guilt and anxiety if you've eaten the wrong food. You are afraid of or avoid social situations where food is served or make up excuses why you can't eat what's offered. Weight loss might not be the driving motivator behind it but because so many foods/meals are seen as not good enough, becoming underweight and malnourished is a real danger for orthorexia sufferers.
Dr. Greger is like my mother talking to me. 😅
I wish any of my parents would have been as good guidance about healthy eating, it would have saved me so much trouble 😞
You've really missed the issue here. Orthorexia is an obsession with 'trying to be healthy', not an obsession with or dedication to being healthy. Orthorexia can be life-destroying. An orthorexic will limit themselves to a limited range of 'healthy' foods, and they might not be healthy, for example, they may avoid vegetables that they suspect are non-organic to the point of eating none, or develop of fear of all processed foods to the point where the thought that something may have a tsp of flour in it means they can't eat that food. They will isolate themselves to avoid a situation where food is not under their control, and it can be comorbid with, or lead to, other eating disorders. It is also commonly comorbid with OCD.
LOVE these videos debunking orthorexia! there's a reason it's not a recognized eating disorder
It is more about obsessing over and being anxious and overexercising rather than choosing to eat healthy food. The 39 yr case is just a case of someone who was an anorexic who collapsed at the gym- the key words are previous anorexic and possibly the overexercising. It is not about making the right choices when it comes to diet. Most of what we eat has sugar in it and it is slowly poisoning us. I am eating healthy these days but I am not thinking about calories, whether the food is organic or not or if they go over the carbs limit for the day. Eating healthy is not something most of us do. We start with sugar in our cereal and have sugar laced condiments throughout the day and a pint of ice-cream to satisfy our cravings. Eating sugar in small amounts is ok. The 53 yr old guy is a bad example of orthorexia. Just because he lost weight does not mean he has it. If he is clearly obsessing about it and if it is ruining his life then it is. Like Stephanie Buttermore who is restricting, overeating and overexercising and has amenorrhea coz of it. She had an eating disorder and it was very clear.
I had a heart attack at 47 so I quit smoking, greatly reduced my alcohol consumption, got on the treadmill, eliminated meat and dairy, started eating a plant-based whole foods diet, lowered the stress in my life, and began sitting meditation and yoga. I'm now in my sixties and weigh what I did in my 20s. I read books, attend the symphony regularly and sail when the weather permits it. Should I start eating bacon and eggs, Kentucky Fried Chicken, potato chips, and fast food burgers and fries, and chase it all with a six-pack of beer every other day? I'd hate to have people call me kray kray.
You're missing a big part of the definition. Eating healthy isn't orthorexia. Obsessing over what you think is healthy eating is the issue. From the nationaleatingdisorders page:
"Compulsive checking of ingredient lists and nutritional labels
An increase in concern about the health of ingredients
Cutting out an increasing number of food groups (all sugar, all carbs, all dairy, all meat, all animal products)
An inability to eat anything but a narrow group of foods that are deemed ‘healthy’ or ‘pure’
Unusual interest in the health of what others are eating
Spending hours per day thinking about what food might be served at upcoming events
Showing high levels of distress when ‘safe’ or ‘healthy’ foods aren’t available
Obsessive following of food and ‘healthy lifestyle’ blogs on Twitter and Instagram
Body image concerns may or may not be present"
Orthorexia isn't always about actual health, though, right? Isn't it more the sufferer has a perceived notion of what is healthy, causing them to categorize 'healthy' and 'unhealthy' foods not based on fact. Water fasting, colonics, juice fasts, fear of specific macronutrients... I associate these things more with orthorexia than just eating WFPB.
If someone is managing their food through compulsive restriction and is terrified of what they deem an unhealthy food and it causes them actual distress... it's more than just eating healthy.
Maybe I'm just describing anorexia tho.
OMG!OMG! We're all here Orthorexics!(and proud of this!)
Orthorexia seems akin to OCD involving food.
Sidilicious that’s what I was thinking but if that is the case, the problem is the ocd and not specifically the diet itself.
You did sorta skip the part where he became socially isolated, though this probably means he needed new friends and strategies to get them. I think we all learn to relax a bit on family and friends with time, but I don't really miss spending time with people who center every festive gathering around eating something dead and engaging in unhealthy behavior even if they're family.
What an interesting perspective.
I have this because most of my day is focused on what I'm gonna eat, the time I do it to digest it perfectly, and picky about quality and cleanliness. I realized it a while ago after being depressed that other vegans were eating delicious food and I'm stuck with the same foods. I know that when ppl fall into strictness and disorders, they deprive themselves of taste and the ease of convenience and ending up dropping a vegan life which is unfortunate. My strictness came about to achieve clear skin which has been working but I still want me some vegan donuts. Everyday...
It's not just friends and acquaintances who throw the term around. It's also insurance companies who are upset that you dared to go off your medications (after the plant-based-diet-aware doctor approved!).
I'm conflicted because i think i might had it when i was trying to clear my skin. There's still a debate weither the food we eat makes a difference with acne or not, but having tried everything i've decided to see for myself.
Basically i looked through a lot of forums in search of foods that caused others to break out. After i had a pretty substantial list - i cut all these things out. Nothing with GI above 35, no tomatos, potatos, bananas, watermelons, citrus, eggplants, any type of beans or nuts, no dairy or meat, no seafood or seaweed, of course no sweets, bread or pastry, no butter on condiments and a while buhcn of E-numbers. It got me very stressed but i couldn't stop because i wanted to clear my skin so desparately. I didn't starve myself or anything, but i was constantly thinking about what i could and couldn't eat.
It wasn't the same as "just eating healthy" for me
Dude, you're not a psychiatrist. It's getting offensive at this point, honestly. You're using very mild examples (a man who is eating only organic) when there are people who literally have a full mental breakdown about eating something they don't think is "pure" or "clean" enough. Call it whatever you will, but there are people who are genuinely struggling and you're refusing to acknowledge it. Sure, it may not always be as serious as anorexia or bulimia, but it causes psychological distress nonetheless. This video comes off as misinformed at best and outright belittling at worst.
Orthorexia/anorexia/bulimia/BED = "I want attention and/or drama in my life and/or I think cheese pizza and candy bars are food - but feel guilty about it so I need to classify myself as a victim so no one can call me out on my bullshit. Poor me. My psychiatrist and drug manufacturers have my back on this so it's indisputable. Don't make me grow up!"
" at best and at worst." .. how many times have I heard that clever template lol
@@SkwidyDev I'm sorry that you feel that way. I disagree, but clearly you've made up your mind.
@@lovebirds360 I disagree with "2+2=4", but mathematicians have clearly made up their mind :(
@@SkwidyDev Technically you're the one saying that you disagree with 2+2=4 in that analogy. Orthorexia is debated, but the scientific consensus is that anorexia and bulimia are real disorders.
Slow death via bad food is far greater a problem in our society. I usually carry a healthy snack because the vast majority of food available in restaurants today is garbage. Once my friends and I were hungry, but the only things around were fast food. They ate Taco Bell; I just stayed hungry, as I'd forgotten my snack. My bestie was wildly upset, as if I'd die if I went 5 hours without eating. It was strange. They ate their greasy, salty processed foods(even the 'beans' in the basic burrito are laden with unpronouneable substances) and I did a tiny fast. I'd likely be viewed as the one with a problem, but I'm the only one in our social group with total cholesterol under 165 and an average bp of 107/62. My friends 'worry' about me because when 'normal' is desperately unhealthy, someone dodging the vast sea of processed crap food is 'the freak'.
Me think the doctor doth protest too much. I love doc g (I use the daily dozen app everyday) but he is mocking this too much.
Naomi Kriss agreed. Seems like he’s “triggered”. The unprofessional tone of this series is off-putting.
And all of the "proud to be orthorexic!" comments are just...depressing. Honestly. People are suffering and you're practically laughing in their face. :(
Hakuna Matata Agreed. Orthorexia is real, and it’s not meant to be diagnosed to those who are eating healthy, it’s meant for those who are obsessing to the point that it negatively impacts their lives.
@@Phoebe907 the thing is, the problem with the disorder is not in the healthy eating. it's in the anxiety and obsession that surrounds it. anxiety and obsession can literally surround anything, it's arbitrary when psychology diagnoses fragment it into all these individual things when it's all the same thing with a different outfit.
@@suckkmycandles My point still stands.
My suffering greatly diminished when I became orthorexic. And so did the suffering of my mother when she became orthorexic. To us orthorexia has been a great blessing. And I am going to start a watermelon fast soon so there is no doubt that I am orthorexic.
@@lovebirds360 does it? my point is that orthorexia as a disease name shouldn't even exist. its stupid to imply that eating really healthy is a problem at all. the problem is anxiety and OCD.
Well everyone who eats like this doesn't have a eating disorder, but there certainly are people with eating disorders who eat like this. Just because it's not harming their bodies like someone who starves themselves or throws up does doesn't mean they're not ill mentally.
It helped me get really fit in the past
I love the sass
Great video 👏🏿
If you don’t want to go into your senior years supporting doctors and pharmaceutical companies you must be ill. Don’t you know that in the US we have people choosing which medicines to skip because they can’t afford all of their prescriptions? Then there you are trying to follow a healthy diet with research that shows it. can prevent and reverse diseases. Who do you think you are?
PS People who follow the SAD diet know you are secretly judging them for being sheep. Therefore they have no choice but to label you as cult members and/or pretend you are some how a member of a religion without knowing it (even it you think you’re a Christian.)
“Okay, you caught me. I actually give a damn about my health. You better put me in a straight jacket.”
Free US Citizen
Grateful for you Dr Greger!! I'm a big fan. I'm a 25 yr vegan and you've really helped me to improve my diet.
Great video, Dr. Greger. Very useful.
If you say you are 'proud to be orthorexic', you DO NOT have orthorexia. Just because somebody cares about their health, it does not mean they necessarily have the knowledge to truly eat healthy. What if an orthorexic person was to eat a ketogenic diet? They would not experience health benefits, despite making a 'healthy diet' a focus in their life. These videos are insulting to people actually suffering from the restrictive eating disorder.
.. and here I thought that was just called being stupid. Why defend stupid people, give their manufactured illness legitimacy, and shower them with pity and attention? It only makes it worse.
Orthorexia/anorexia/bulimia = I want attention and/or drama in my life and I think cheese pizza and candy bars are food - but feel guilty about it so I need to classify myself as a victim so no one can call me out on my bullshit. Poor me. My psychiatrist and drug manufacturers have my back on this so it's indisputable.
Thank you, Dr Greger! Another intelligent and relevant video yet again. Its always a pleasure to learn new stuff from you. I agree that the people coining terms like these should take some responsibility for the fallout from them.
Doctor Greger you crack me up with your sense of humor.
Healthy food is worth being passionate about.
2:10 I see meme potential there. 😂🤣
How do you feel about people refusing to eat certain foods on occasion, to the point of extreme anxiety in situations that involve foods they have deemed unhealthy? I do think that healthy eating is what is needed for humanity, but if you're at the point where one slice of vegan sugar free cake or vegan macaroni at Christmas makes you so upset you won't go near it, and your daily diet is only steamed, juiced or raw green vegetables, this is too extreme. Clearly vegetables are healthy, and we need them to survive and thrive. But we also need a variety of other foods to reach nutritional needs. I feel like orthorexia is more about an unhealthy obsession with health, as ridiculous as that might sound. In this sense most patients diagnosed with orthorexia seem to show signs of obsession with exercise (which is technically exercise bulimia) and obsession with not over eating or possibly with under eating via high volume calorically dilute foods (similar to anorexia). Orthorexia seems like a slightly healthier variant of anorexia to me
About 15 years ago, my friend and I along with our kids were at the beach and she offered a plate lunch (chicken, macaroni salad, and white rice) to a homeless man with visible mental disturbance who was going through the garbage cans and he wouldn't take it because he said it was unhealthy. That is orthorexia. The sarcasm and condescending tone of this video is unprofessional and it's obvious that the narrator simply has not encountered or lived with individuals suffering from orthorexia nervosa.
Imagine there being a disease invented for people who turned down cigarettes in the 50's and told other people it's gonna cause them incredible pain and suffering before leading to an early death.
Orthorexia is not a diagnosis as far as I’m concerned. It’s dumb.
The amount of sass in this is astonishing 😂 pop off gregger, pop off!
This exact thing happened to me. MDs so often seem obsessed with diagnosing... even for getting healthier, especially if you do it without their prescriptions.
I think this is what happened to poor Izzy Davis (vegan youtuber). She had a past history of anorexia and fell back into it a bit and her family had her start seeing a therapist (which she made videos of) Who demonized the lifestyle and made her feel that the diet was extreme and the cause of her weight loss. Izzy is a type A personality and took veganism very seriously and was brainwashed to think that her diligence with her diet was wrong and the root of her problem. So, she quit. It's sad that this diagnosis is probably going to be what makes her I'll in the end.
Glad to hear this message from you, NF.
Dr Greger, I value your work, but please consider leaving eating disorders to psychologists.
Great video love ya Dr. G !!!
I’m sorry, but this perception is very wrong. It’s easy to laugh orthorexia off when you have a healthy relationship with food in general. Try to laugh it off after you feel so guilty that you want to phisically punish yourself all day after having a small piece of your birthday cake or after you start to avoid going out with people in general, because you can’t stand to sit at one table with them. Eating disorders are a real mental health issue, and they come in very different forms.
Hugely ill-researched video by someone who thinks he knows it all. He sure as hell knows nothing about psychological aspects related to eating habits. If only he had interviewed a couple of people with ON...
WoW, explains so much👍👍🙏
Dr. Steven Bratman is the registrant for orthorexia.com so he seems to believe this is a real thing.
I could think of some recent ex-plant-based/vegans that fit some of his criteria under the "Tipping Point" subheader of "Healthy Eating vs. Orthorexia".
Most recent is a former Ninja Warrior competitor that now wants to kill his own food with his "his own hands". Although I don't think that drinking urine would be classified as "clean eating". This one is a conundrum. I feel sorry for the guy, though. He, and others, have become obsessed with their food and I think part of that has to do with their TH-cam Influencer status.
Perhaps it is YTorexia.
I'm not making light of their situations because many of these people continue to go to extremes and it may center around their desire for attention online and their needs for control.
Anyhow, it's an interesting topic and there may be some validity to it, but it concerns me that there will be some kind of drug soon to be marketed specifically for this classification. Anything for a buck.
Oh my, the sarcasm... so strong today, so strong.
Amen. Advice for all people all the time
Sounds like he has an eating disorder amd is on denial
👍😊. Glad to see this video. Amazing how much hostility is generated, no least among those suffering from lifestyle diseases brought on by 'normal food', when one (I myself) is seen to be concerned about healthful food choices.
The "irony" is that when I followed Dr. Gregor's Nutrition information, I felt incredibly worse and yes had an unhealthy relationship with food. The hyperbole that animal products are the cause of most disease IS an unhealthy and unrealistic given that humans have submitted on them for millennia.
This video is just symptomatic of Orthorexia!! (Jk)
Lol, you're a little devil you 😈
I love this doctor!!
I sure hope I have it
The idea that someone would try to take common sense, like the idea that it is good to take care of your own health, and make it a disorder is apalling. What is next? “Saving people from a burning building disorder?”
Orthorexia cannot be a diagnostic category of dysfunction, because it is not an essential complex, but only another randomly fashioned example of an underlying, essential complex in question - this essential complex may be stupidity - in the case where false and dysfunctional concepts of health are defended with fundamentalist conviction (breatharianism, paleo, etc), it may be survivalism of the kind, that is common to all humans and thus would not qualify as a disorder or dysfunction, or, in addition to that, it may be egocentricity, in a case when one obsessive narrative about survivalism is exaggerated to the extend of neglect of other necessities of life, like when people build underground shelters to protect their family from the unpredictability of life or collect weapons, that scare everyone away, instead of saving some money - finally it may be disinformation, which is a collective state, not an individual disorder. Also a believe in Orthorexia is often justified by factually invalid concepts, such as "balance is always safer than elimination" or "the dose makes the poison" mistaken to mean "nothing in moderation is poisonous".
Dr. Greger videos cause good orthorexia and I am thankful.
I think I’m feeling like this? I’ve always got da munchies and shit 🙏💚☺️
Wow! at least i know what i have now! thanks❤️😘
Can we all remember that packaged and fast food has not been around very long.
This is ridiculous. Sure Anorexia Exists, But Ortherxia certainly does not. Its a myth. Because let me explain. Any body that fixates on super immaculate clean pure eating constantly and never touches any junk and is so fixated on it but still eats enough and is healthy. Thats optimal! Like me i do this. Most people would consider me a professional ortherexic if you saw my diet. There is nobody that eats cleaner than me, i wont even eat anything enjoyable for christmas! My dad visits me only a couple times a year and wants to get a burger and even though its one time i wont do it. Everything has to be spot on. I have no flexibility. This is called obsessed from
The outsiders but its actually called dedicated. And this is what humans are made to eat. Only clean food. Because of how society has normalised a normal diet and government doctors are all about making money buy recommending eat more refined food because remember its wealth not health for them! If everyone ate super clean. No body would be sick, therefore they make no money! They cant cope with having everyone well and eating properly so they make sure everyone normalises eating crap and normalise obesity because thats what makes people sick and thats how money is made on their behalf. Thats why doctors are so against super clean eating because it equals wellness and no money for them. They recommend balance and food freedom which leads to more health problems with all the crap and more doctor money visits.
Conclusion
So, doctors with this mentality to make everyone convinced what normal eating is and everyone else who has normalized eating ( bread noodles pasta wraps buns chips mayo chocolate lollies cookies flavoured stuff ) on a daily basis. Will tell you, you have an eating disorder because you eat real food and never touch any of this stuff. But you dont, your only dedicated. You cant go out with friends and have fun because your dedicated ! You have no flexibility because your dedication! This is amazing no body has this but me really. Your just dedicated to eating really clean. Dont change.
I love your videos so much but I was very disappointed with your comments on orthorexia. I understand that being conscious and committed to plant based eating is beneficial, and we should all care about what we consume. But the big part of this disorder you missed is the psychological aspect. Someone suffering from orthorexia is obsessed with food and purity, making it their main concern in life. This may cause intense anxiety and/or OCD that can quickly take over someone’s life in a negative way, much like the those with anorexia or bulimia. There’s a difference between a healthy diet and and unhealthy obsession with food
.. and here I thought that was just called being stupid. Why defend stupid people, give their manufactured illness legitimacy, and shower them with pity and attention? It only makes it worse.
Orthorexia/anorexia/bulimia = I want attention and/or drama in my life and I think cheese pizza and candy bars are food - but feel guilty about it so I need to classify myself as a victim so no one can call me out on my bullshit. Poor me. My psychiatrist and drug manufacturers have my back on this so it's indisputable.
SkwidyDev You don’t believe in mental health issues or? You’re clearly a troubled human being. I hope you don’t have to deal with mental illness the way so many others do.
Yeah sure. In your context it would seem Orthorexia doesn't exist. It does. I'm at the point where I feel unless I only eat 100% fruit I will never heal. This has come about from watching herbalists and 'nutritionists' on TH-cam who say exactly that ie the only way to heal is on an all fruit diet, forget even raw green veges. I've become scared to eat anything other than fruit and am miserable. Before, when my diet was vegan but had fruit, as well as a sweet potato a green salad, and/or Steamed veg every day, I felt I was really happy doing that. now I've been brainwashed to think that's unhealthy. I need to get off TH-cam.
Proud ortorexic here!!
Couldn't get away with that quackery here in Los Angeles CA.
cool !
What about risk of kidney stones, kidney failure by way of nutrient rich foods? lol
Do a video on treating eating disorders with MARIJUANA! Seriously, the stoner munchies can be life-saving. Salute from The Netherlands! Now where's my bong...
Not entirely sure I agree with this one. But I trust Dr G nonetheless! Daily dozen for life!
I thinkbit becomes an ED when it becomes obsessive and impacts on emotional and mental wellbeing, social life snd the like. Seems like this video is trivialising what could be a genuine mental struggle for some.
It does not deserve more than these few seconds of consideration, so to say
Is this a April's fools joke?
chlorine dioxide solution Jim Humble used this. ...wow!
While I truly enjoyed the video and laughed frequently, and I do not think it belongs in the DSM, it's not like there's nothing to the orthorexia idea. A great number of people have become so confused about what is healthy and what is not healthy, with good reason, that they have adopted some very unhealthy diets - like for example, 30 bananas a day, or deciding to go hungry for extended periods rather than eating white potatoes or white rice. So, maybe we should do more than just laugh.
Let.s assume for a second that orthorexia is real then wouldn.t all the standard diet people claiming they eat meat and dairy because they need it in order to remain healthy or because it.s part o a heathy diet be considered orthorexic? İ mean İ personally hear the people around me clinging with their every strength onto that statement whenever diet comes up: but you need meat blabla, everything in moderation and there needs to be a balance... That.s maybe mirrored orthorexia or something...
I wish that you had studied up on this topic more thoroughly before mocking this diagnosis. This is a psychological issue of extremes that people with certain personalities are prone to develop. I hope this isn't an example of how deeply you delve into your other topics, or maybe I shouldn't put so much stock into your work after all. You sounded defensive and biased as though you have some cognitive dissonance going on. As much as I have appreciated your videos, they are just the type that can be triggers for those with eating disorders. I know of several women who have taken their "healthy" eating to an extreme and it literally killed them. I am so disappointed with this video.
Obviously the problem lies in the insecurity of the one making this bogus "diagnosis".
Nothing wrong with a plant based diet but like a lot of things in life it can be taken to extreme to the point of ignoring social gatherings because you don't like their food or every conversation has to get back to diet , or judging or ridiculing people because they don't eat like you....that is the height of arrogance and smugness. Plant based docs may mean well but do they know how many in the vegan community have become obsessed with what they put in their mouth everyday? I don't think so
Can someone tell me what is "normal " food? I guess it would be McDonalds
Orthorexia Nervosa dr greger has