orthorexia

[ awr-thuh--rek-see-uh ]

noun

1. an obsession with eating foods that are considered healthy, especially when accompanied by an obsessive aversion to, or even fear of, foods that are considered unhealthy.

orthorexia

/ ˈɔːθəˌrɛksɪə /

noun

1. a disorder characterized by a morbid obsession with eating healthy foods only

Other Words From

• or·tho·rex·ic adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of orthorexia¹

orth(o)- ( def ) + -orexia ( def ); coined by Steven Bratman, U.S. physician, in 1997

Word History and Origins

Origin of orthorexia¹

C21: from ortho- + ( ano ) rexia

Example Sentences

He added that when supplements come to market claiming to promote the “good bacteria” in a person’s intestines, he’s concerned it pushes rhetoric promoting orthorexia, or the obsession with eating healthy food, usually featuring dangerous overfixation on the quality of food and not the quantity.

From Salon

And she observes, "Orthorexia is hard to treat in mid-life in part because the behavior is largely celebrated by modern culture — and often by the person's doctors and health care providers."

From Salon

When supplements come to market claiming to promote the “good bacteria” in a person’s intestines, this mimics similar rhetoric that promotes and supports orthorexia, or the obsession with eating healthy food usually featuring dangerous overfixation on the quality of food and not the quantity.

From Salon

The researchers found that people in the broader eating disorder community—not only those with orthorexia—were using the hashtag, having turned to social media for support that they could not otherwise find.

From Scientific American

One example comes from social media and its influence on people with orthorexia nervosa, a harmful obsession with a diet that’s perceived to be healthy.

From Scientific American