THE BALANCE

Private admissions

Let’s talk about your next step.

Speak with our admissions team about treatment for you or someone you care about.

Your admissions team

Jil Moore
Jil MooreClient Relations Director
Cynthia Nakhle
Cynthia NakhleAdmissions Manager

Clinical resource

Orthorexia Nervosa

Orthorexia Nervosa is a less common, newly researched food disorder characterized by an overwhelming fixation on eating healthy food. The obsession, in this case, is negative with damaging effects that contradict the concepts of…

Medically reviewed byDr. Sarah Boss, MD
Stone residence with a swimming pool, lawn and palm trees

Quick Summary

  • Orthorexia nervosa involves an overwhelming fixation on food quality and healthy eating that can undermine well-being.
  • Possible risk factors include anxiety and obsessive-compulsive patterns, while extreme food trends and misleading media may also contribute.
  • Signs may include compulsively checking ingredients, eliminating food groups, eating very few foods, and becoming distressed when preferred foods are unavailable.

Orthorexia Nervosa is a less common, newly researched food disorder characterized by an overwhelming fixation on eating healthy food. The obsession, in this case, is negative with damaging effects that contradict the concepts of healthy living and well-being. People with Orthorexia are obsessed with the quality of food and not the quantity.

Orthorexia Luxury Treatment Center Rehab

When do you need orthorexia recovery treatment? The causes behind this disorder are still subject to research. Nonetheless, issues such as OCD and anxiety have been recognized as possible risk factors. Moreover, the surge of extreme food trends and false media information has also contributed to the rise of food-related disorders. Many sources spread misleading ideas regarding healthy eating. Consequently, more people are adopting an inadequate food diet and eating habits.

Our program has been put together by experts to tackle underlying issues that might cause Orthorexia, such as anxiety. At THE BALANCE Inpatient Orthorexia Nervosa Recovery Treatment Center, our team will assign a nutritional diet that will fuel your body and mind. In addition, they will reshape your views about food and health and replacing wrong views and habits with healthy ones. Within the safe and compassionate environment of our center, our therapists will teach you how to manage your obsession and compulsive thought patterns.

Symptoms of Orthorexia Nervosa

Diagnosing Orthorexia is challenging because of its symptoms to those of the symptoms of following a strict diet. If you experience the following symptoms it is integral that you get checked:

  • Compulsive checking of ingredient lists and nutritional values.
  • An increase in concern about the quality of ingredients.
  • Cutting out an entire food group (all sugar, all carbs, all dairy, all meat, all animal products).
  • An inability to eat except a few selected foods that are introduced as “healthy”.
  • Unusual interest in the health of what others are consuming.
  • Spending hours per day thinking about what food you might eat later.
  • Showing distress when ‘safe’ food is not available.
  • Obsessively following food trends on social media.

Editorial evidence

Evidence & sources

Selected clinical guidelines, peer-reviewed research, and public-health sources used in this article.

01American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Eating disorders.View source
02National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Eating disorders.View source
View all 10 sourcesShow fewer sources
04National Health Service. (n.d.). Treatmentu2014Anorexia nervosa.View source
05National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (n.d.). Eating disorders: Recognition and treatment.View source
06American Psychiatric Association. (n.d.). What are eating disorders?View source
07Anxiety & Depression Association of America. (n.d.). Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).View source
09National Center for Biotechnology Information. (n.d.). Home – Books – NCBI.View source
What this includes
01

Clinical context

Clear information is framed around complex and co-occurring presentations.

02

Individual factors

Assessment remains essential because needs and risks differ from person to person.

03

Next steps

A confidential conversation can help clarify the most appropriate route forward.

Not sure where the situation fits?

Your admissions team

Jil Moore
Jil MooreClient Relations Director
Cynthia Nakhle
Cynthia NakhleAdmissions Manager

A confidential first conversation can help clarify the presentation and whether our setting is appropriate.

THE BALANCE
A PLACE TO BEGIN

Ask about our care

Ask a question or talk with our AI assistant about our care.