Orthorexia: When Healthy Eating Goes Bad
The term “orthoexia” was coined by Dr. Steven Bratman to describe people who are obsessed with healthy food. In his book “Health Food Junkies,” Bratman explains that the term “ortho” means “straight correct and true” in Greek, and describes orthorexics as fixated on “righteous eating.”
Kristie Ruzel, a college student whose orthorexia left her weighing only 68.3 pounds (she’s 5 foot 4 inches tall), was eating only raw broccoli and cauliflower by the time she sought help.
Medical experts disagree about whether or not orthorexia deserves to be separated from anorexia or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) as a diagnosis.
