So I'm not really in the habit of reading, let alone sharing, articles from Teen Vogue magazine. But plane rides can lead you to some interesting way of entertainment (I had a coloring book for the flight home), and this article actually peaked my interest...
food for thought"
When does an interest in a healthy diet go too far? Teen Vogue reports on orthorexia, a disturbing new eating pattern. For as long as I can remember, I've looked at food labels to study what's good and bad for me. But this year, I finally got my whole diet under control,' says nineteen-year-old Sadie* Each day, the college sophomore diligently keeps a list of what she eats. She highlights item in either green(for 'good' choices) or pink (for 'bad') to track her progress. 'Yesterday, I are organic pineapple chunks, an organic pomelo - basically a large grapefruit- and drank two cups of green tea. I highlighted that all as green,' she notes. 'But then I nearly passed out, so for dinner my boyfriend made me a tiny plate of pasta with baby tomatoes and a few salad leaves. For that entry, I highlighted the pasta as pink. Next time, I'm going to replace it with whole-wheat pasta. If I have to write down regular pasta again, I won't have achieved anything.'
Orthorexia, a new term used to describe a fixation on healthy eating, is an issue on the rise with teenage girls. Unlike clinically recognized eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia, orthorexics are concerned about the purity of food rather than simply striving for thinness, says Karen Stickler, Psy.D., a health psychologist specializing in binge eating, body image, eating disorders, obesity, and wellness at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. 'When a person refuses to eat anything perceived as unhealthy, it is a problem,' explains Tara Gidus, R>D., an Orlando, Florida-based National Spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. 'It's not quite an eating disorder, but it is a form of disordered eating. It could easily lead to bulimia if you binge on unhealthy foods and feel like you need to get rid of it. And the rigid nature of the disease could also lead to anorexia.'
Jessica*, fourteen, first started monitoring her diet after researching the negative effects of high-fructose corn syrup. Following a strict diet of organic fruits, juices, milk, and oatmeal gives her a boost of self-esteem, she says. 'I don't want processed food in my body,' explains the Illinois freshman. 'It's all about purity. I refuse to put poison into my body. I'll stay this way forever.' Vanessa,* sixteen, from Denver, shares Jessica's food concerns: 'Once you realize what you take in when you consume these chemical-laden foods, there's no going back. It's like eating Windex- why would you do it? Would you abstain from Windex forever? Yes, I can genuinely say I would. I feel a general euphoria from eating so purely.'
Medical experts have noticed an increase in teenage girls obsessed with organic and health foods, due in part to a desire to copy the heavily restrictive diets of popularized by celebrities and the media. The widely successful
New York Times best seller
Skinny Bitch (Running Press) and its sophomore sequel,
Skinny Bitch In the Kitch, urges readers to abandon all dairy, meats, and refined sugars to reap the benefits of a healthier lifestyle and a skinnier body. 'The books are basically no different than any other unhealthy diet because they go to such an extreme - they're merely packaged to appear healthy. It's simply not smart for teenagers to eliminate entire food groups. There's nothing wrong with eating junk food once in a while,' says Susan S. Bartell, Psy.D., a psychologist specializing in girls, and author of
Dr. Susan's Girls-only Weight Loss Guide (Parent Positive Press).
Plus, according to Brooke Alpert, R.D., a registered dietitian and the founder of B Nutritious, a nutrition counseling practice in New York City, many gils have an inaccurate definition of healthy foods. "Just because a food is low-calorie or organic does not mean that it is good for you,' she says. 'It's really a constant battle in convincing girls that a 130-calorie yogurt could actually be a healthier option, due to its nutritional content, than a 60-calorie yogurt.'
So what's the difference between being health-conscious and health-obsessed? Since orthorexia is not a medically defined disease, diagnosis can be difficult. But experts agree that is when the interest starts to interfere with overall functioning and leads to self-isolation it becomes a problem. 'It's great to eat health food, but when it's all the you think about, it's no longer healthy. Or, when it prevents you from living your life naturally-like if you stop socializing and dating because you're too tired, or you don't exercise because you don't have the strength, or you can't focus in school because you're too hungry,' says Bartell.
Jackie,* seventeen, avoids social outing with friends completely, for fear of temptation or projecting a sense of superiority over friends unable to maintain such a strict diet. "My friends love going out for pizza or ice cream, which is something I can't even get close to for risk of temptation,' says the junior from Oklahoma. 'I try not to look down on them, but it's hard not to sometimes. In the end, it is always rewarding for me to think, Oh, I made it another day, or , I was so strong not to give in.'
Eliminating foods, refusing social initiations where food is involved, preaching to other people that the foods they're eating are bad for them, and excessively thinking about food choices are all warning signs that an interest in healthy eating could actually be an unhealthy obsession. 'If any of these symptoms sound familiar to you, make an appointment with a professional who specializes in eating disorders, such as your school therapist or a registered dietitian,' Says Gidus. 'It's important to find out the underlying issues surrounding why you feel a need to have such a tight control over what and how you eat.' Alpert suggests girls start by taking small steps, such as going light on the dressing instead of having it on the said, or trying to occasionally eat out with friends. 'Small changes will not only help to reinstall a comfortable association with food, but a realistic return to natural and truly healthy eating. Thats the most important thing.'"
-Andrea Kasprzak
*names have been changed.
So, basically this article was interesting to me because I have encountered a lot of people with "healthy eating obsessions". Well, I wouldn't say they are obsessed... but sometimes I find it a little unhealthy how much they think about what they eat. I have nothing against organic foods. In fact, when I can I prefer organic fruits and vegetables along with meats. I don't, however, think everything has to be organic. Nor do I think that non-organic foods are the poison. I mean, Newman's O's are not good for you just because they are organic. Let's face it.
I'm not saying that I follow a healthy diet all the time myself. I'll be the first person to tell you I eat fast food WAY too much. But I found value in the fact that obsession -on either end of the spectrum- is unhealthy. And I have found myself feel inferior to people because I am not focused on a "healthy" diet.
It reminds me of one of my favorite bible verses: "Everything is permissible for me" -but not everything is benficial. Everything is permissible for me -
but I will not be mastered by anything." (1 Corinthians 6:12) As a Christian, the "master" of my life is Jesus. Nothing, weather good or bad on earth, should take that place. When healthy eating becomes the thing you think about most, you have let it master you. I think sometimes when we let certian things reign in our lives over God... it is because our focus has shifted. I don't think that we intentionally make something else Lord over our lives. Most of the time, it is an insecurity that we attempt to work out in an unhealthy way. When things start to fill out minds instead of Christ, I think it is wise to stop and examine why we are spending so much time on it in the first place. Still, even this process could become an obsession. For me, the easiest way to keep my life entered on Christ is to dig into His word, spend time immersed in his presence through prayer or bible study or fellowship with other believers constantly.
Just food for thought....
