orthorexia
Harmful health fixation
Orthorexia is an obsessive fixation on eating only foods deemed healthy or pure, to a degree that becomes unhealthy itself.
Unlike anorexia's focus on quantity, orthorexia fixates on quality—someone might eliminate entire food groups, spend hours planning meals, or feel intense guilt after eating something "impure." The condition isn't officially recognized as a clinical disorder but is increasingly discussed in mental health contexts: Her orthorexia started as clean eating but turned into an inability to eat anything she hadn't prepared herself.
Persistent mental attachment
- compulsionIrresistible urge to act
- preoccupationAbsorbing mental focus
- rigidityState of being unbending
- clean eatingUnprocessed, natural diet
food rules · purity · perfectionism · control · inflexibility · hypervigilance · food guilt · all-or-nothing
Overall state of health
- clean eatingUnprocessed, natural diet
- organicFrom living matter
- superfoodsNutrient-dense dietary items
- detoxSubstance removal process
cleanse · gluten-free · plant-based · whole foods · raw food · non-GMO · unprocessed · natural
Disorder of bingeing and purging
- body dysmorphiaFixation on imagined physical flaws
- disordered eatingAbnormal food-related behaviors
- food anxietyStress about meals
- purgingForcible elimination of unwanted
malnutrition · starvation · fasting · compulsive eating · psychopathology · food phobia · nutritional deficiency · weight obsession
Persistent apprehensive distress
- shamePainful awareness of failure
- guiltMoral self-reproach
- isolationComplete separation from others
- social withdrawalRetreating from interpersonal contact
food rituals · cognitive distortion · self-worth · identity · moral judgment · therapy · recovery · treatment
Science of human nourishment
- micronutrientsVital substances needed minimally
- macronutrientsPrimary nutritional building blocks
- nutrient densityNourishment per calorie ratio
- caloric intakeEnergy consumed through eating
food quality · supplements · vitamins · minerals · proteins · carbohydrates · fiber · metabolism
fixation
Persistent mental attachment
- compulsionIrresistible urge to act
- preoccupationAbsorbing mental focus
- rigidityState of being unbending
food rules · clean eating · purity · perfectionism · control · inflexibility · hypervigilance · food guilt · all-or-nothing · black-and-white thinking
wellness
Overall state of health
- clean eatingUnprocessed, natural diet
- organicFrom living matter
- superfoodsNutrient-dense dietary items
detox · cleanse · gluten-free · plant-based · whole foods · raw food · non-GMO · unprocessed · natural · chemical-free
bulimia
Disorder of bingeing and purging
- body dysmorphiaFixation on imagined physical flaws
- disordered eatingAbnormal food-related behaviors
- food anxietyStress about meals
purging · malnutrition · starvation · fasting · compulsive eating · psychopathology · food phobia · nutritional deficiency · weight obsession · self-starvation
anxiety
Persistent apprehensive distress
social withdrawal · food rituals · cognitive distortion · self-worth · identity · moral judgment · therapy · recovery · treatment · mental health
dietetics
Science of human nourishment
- micronutrientsVital substances needed minimally
- macronutrientsPrimary nutritional building blocks
- nutrient densityNourishment per calorie ratio
caloric intake · food quality · supplements · vitamins · minerals · proteins · carbohydrates · fiber · metabolism · antioxidants