Orthorexia: When “perfect diet” becomes an obsession

A message from a blog follower goes:

“Dear David Wayne Fish, I want to be as healthy as I can be. Aside from exercising daily, I also make sure that I only eat healthy foods. But when I heard about this thing called “orthorexia” on TV, I was baffled. How do I know if I am suffering from it? ~ Miss Fussy.” 

I have an appointment with fellow San Diego fitness coaches later, but I can’t help answering Miss Fussy’s question through this blog post with some sense of urgency. Lately, there have been discussions in the media about orthorexia, which have caused confusion to many. It’s vital that people get factual information on the subject.

Image Source: althleanx.com

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics defines orthorexia as “an unhealthy fixation on eating only healthy or ‘pure’ foods.” People who suffer from this disorder are driven by the obsessive desire to follow a healthy diet to the point that they severely restrict themselves from many types of nourishment.

Typically, orthorexics start by avoiding processed foods and eating only certified organic goods. Later on, they eliminate entire groups of food until they achieve the “perfect diet.”  Unfortunately, nutrients may be eliminated from the diet and orthorexics end up being malnourished.

Image Source: outlish.com

Orthorexia can also lead to social isolation. Orthorexics get extremely anxious around a shared meal where “unhealthy foods” are served. They may not also enjoy their food like normal people do. While consuming a healthy diet make them feel virtuous, bad food gives them a sense of guilt.

I personally think that orthorexia is a disorder that develops as a twisted response to the eating disorders of the recent years—anorexia nervosa and bulimia. It is ironic how the desire to eat healthy has, once again, driven many to madness. But since it is a new disorder, it may be put to a halt before it starts killing people. I advise those who think they are suffering from orthorexia to see a therapist before the disorder worsens.

That includes you, Miss Fussy.  

Image Source: healthxchange.com.sg

Connect with this Facebook page to get timely updates on health and wellness.

REPOST: Walk, or Run, to Lower Heart Disease Risk: Benefits Are Similar

It is generally believed that running results in a better workout than walking does, but a study published on TIME shows that walking may produce the same effects.

A brisk walk may be just as good as a run for keeping the the heart healthy.

That’s encouraging, considering less than half of Americans meet the government’s recommendation of at least 2.5 hours of moderate to intense aerobic exercise a week. A new study published in the American Heart Association (AHA) journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology found that walkers lowered their risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes as much as runners.

Researchers studied 33,060 runners who were participating in the National Runners’ Health Study and 15,045 walkers enrolled in the National Walkers’ Health Study over six years. All the participants were between the ages of 18 to 80, with most in their 40s and 50s. The exercises answered questionnaires about their physical activity, and the researchers calculated how much energy they expended based on the distance the volunteers reported walking or running. They also recorded any doctor-diagnosed heart conditions.

The scientists found that while vigorous running required slightly higher levels of energy than moderate intensity walking, both translated into a parallel drop in incidence of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or heart disease over the study period. And the more the participants walked or ran, the greater the benefit in lowering their heart disease risk.

Although walking isn’t as intense as running, the study authors say both target the same muscle groups, which could explain why their results in improving heart health are so similar. The results suggest that the type of exercise may not be as important as how much people walk or run.

Here’s what the researchers found:

• Running significantly reduced the risk for being diagnosed with hypertension by 4.2% while walking reduced the risk by 7.2%
• Running reduced the chances of having high cholesterol by 4.3% and walking by 7%
• Running lowered risk of diabetes by 12.1% while walking dropped the risk by 12.3%
• Running reduced coronary heart disease risk by 4.5% compared to 9.3% for walking.

The results are encouraging since walking may be a more appealing and sustainable for more people than running. Because running is a more intense form of physical activity, runners are able to burn more calories and exercise the heart to higher levels within a shorter period of time, but the results support the idea that any physical activity, as long as it’s consistent, can have lasting benefits. Last summer, the Centers for Disease Control released a report showing that more Americans are walking for exercise, and that those who walk are three times more likely to meet the recommended level of physical activity.

The TIME story on the report detailed the benefits:

What’s more, people who walk are significantly more likely — three times more likely on average, in fact — to meet the government’s physical activity recommendations. Overall, the survey data showed, more Americans were meeting that goal in 2010 (48%) than in 2005 (41%), and more walkers (60%) than non-walkers (30%) met the guideline. The more people walked, the more likely they were to meet the exercise requirement: compared with non-walkers, those who walked 10-19 minutes a week were 34% more likely to meet the standard; those walking 20-29 minutes a week were 52% more likely; people who walked 30-59 minutes a week were 80% more likely; and those walking more than hour a week were nearly four times more likely to get the minimum amount of recommended exercise.

More data will likely continue to compare intense activity such as running with more moderate exercise like walking for everything from weight loss to longevity, but more studies show that for many, particularly those who are relatively sedentary, walking may be a healthy and effective way to start increasing physical activity. And research also supports the idea that for the heart, it’s not the quantity so much as the consistency of exercise that may keep atherosclerosis and high blood pressure at bay.

Follow this Twitter account for more tips on effective cardio workout routines.