Orthorexia is an unhealthy focus on eating in a healthy way. Although not formally recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, awareness about orthorexia is on the rise. The term ‘orthorexia’ was coined in 1998 and means an obsession with proper or ‘healthful’ eating. People with orthorexia become so fixated on so-called ‘healthy eating’ that they actually damage their own well-being. Without formal diagnostic criteria, it’s difficult to get an estimate on precisely how many people have orthorexia, and whether it’s a stand-alone eating disorder, a type of existing eating disorders like anorexia, or a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Studies have shown that many individuals with orthorexia also have obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Some warning signs and symptoms of orthorexia include compulsive checking of ingredient lists and nutritional labels, obsessive following of food and ‘healthy lifestyle’ blogs on Twitter and Instagram, and body image concerns. People with orthorexia may also refuse to eat a broad range of foods, bury themselves in food research, and worry about how “clean” food is or if it’s “bad” for their health.

Like anorexia, orthorexia involves restriction of the amount and variety of foods eaten, making malnutrition likely. Therefore, the two disorders share many of the same physical consequences. Although there are currently no clinical treatments developed specifically for orthorexia, many eating disorder experts treat orthorexia as a variety of anorexia and/or obsessive-compulsive disorder. If you recognize any of the symptoms in yourself or someone you know, it may be a sign of an eating disorder, and you should seek advice from a doctor.