09/01/2026
🥗 When "Healthy Eating" Becomes an Unhealthy Obsession
We often hear that "clean eating" is the goal, but what happens when the pursuit of health starts to take over your life?
Orthorexia is an eating disorder characterised by a fixation on food quality and "purity." What usually starts as a positive desire to be healthy can quietly evolve into a restrictive cycle of anxiety and control that impacts both physical and mental well-being.
Signs of Orthorexia:
🚩 Extreme Restriction: Cutting out entire food groups (like grains, dairy, or fats) or strictly avoiding any ingredients perceived as "unclean" or "impure."
🚩 Food Anxiety: Feeling intense guilt or distress when eating foods that don't meet your strict standards.
🚩 Social Isolation: Avoiding social gatherings, dinners, or events because of fear surrounding the food being served.
🚩 Mental Fixation: Spending an excessive amount of time planning meals, checking labels, and worrying about food quality.
🚩 Control & Self-Esteem: Using rigid eating habits to cope with stress, low self-esteem, or a need for control.
🌱 Recovery is Possible
Orthorexia can look like discipline from the outside, but it is often deeply isolating. The good news is that with the right support, you can break free from the obsession and rediscover a flexible, balanced relationship with food.
Whether you are concerned for yourself or a loved one, early intervention is key. Treatment is available and highly successful.
📩 Reach out to us in confidence. You don't have to navigate this journey alone.
