12/12/2025
âClean eatingâ isnât a scientific or medical term.
It has no agreed-upon definition in nutrition research.
Itâs a diet-culture concept that moralizes food, aka:
- clean vs dirty
- good vs bad
- safe vs harmful
And that framework closely mirrors orthorexic thinking, which encompasses: rigidity, fear, and control, disguised as âhealth.â
No, not everyone who uses the phrase has an eating dis0rder. But the idea itself isnât neutral or harmless, and it often fuels judgment of ourselves (and of others).
Which is why your personal rules and commentary about what and how you eat are best kept personal.
Or else youâre gonna sound like this jerk at the table đ
Your opinion (which is subjective) is fine to have, but your friends at the table (and the whole restaurant) doesnât need a TED talk about it.
Okay, thatâs all! âď¸