Is orthorexia nervosa in the DSM-5?

While there is no category specific to Orthorexia, the disorder is in fact captured in the DSM-5. Specifically, Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is a broad diagnostic category that holds Orthorexia as well as other eating or feeding disturbances.

What is orthorexia nervosa?

What Is Orthorexia? Orthorexia is an unhealthy focus on eating in a healthy way. Eating nutritious food is good, but if you have orthorexia, you obsess about it to a degree that can damage your overall well-being. Steven Bratman, MD, a California doctor, coined the term in 1996.

Who suffers from orthorexia nervosa?

Those who have an “unhealthy obsession” with otherwise healthy eating may be suffering from “orthorexia nervosa,” a term which literally means “fixation on righteous eating.” Orthorexia starts out as an innocent attempt to eat more healthfully, but orthorexics become fixated on food quality and purity.

What are the most common disorders that may coexist with orthorexia?

Orthorexia and co-occurring disorders

  • Depression.
  • Anxiety.
  • Obsessive compulsive disorder.

Is orthorexia a recognized eating disorder?

The medical community is beginning to recognize orthorexia, although neither the American Psychiatric Association nor the current edition of the industry standard “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” has officially defined it as an eating disorder ( 1 , 2 ).

How can you tell if someone is Orthorexic?

The warning signs of Orthorexia present themselves in obsessive concerns about food, righteous eating, and fixations on diet standards and food preparation.

  1. Preoccupation with Food and Eating Habits.
  2. Extreme Dietary Rules.
  3. Changes in Mood and Emotional Distress.
  4. “Good” vs.
  5. Food Fixation that Affects Social Interactions.

Is orthorexia a mental illness?

How is orthorexia different from anorexia?

Although both of these disorders are centered around an obsession with food in one way or another, individuals with anorexia nervosa are using food as a way to control their weight and body image whereas individuals with orthorexia nervosa are not concerned about their weight but instead are concerned about how pure …