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Apparently orthorexia is the new cool eating disorder and unfortunately some of us are getting swept away, because paleo is getting to be a marketed "trend diet" (packaged paleo cookies delivered to your door, anyone?). Or maybe it's just kinda cool to say you have it (like everyone and their mom having gluten intolerance). I personally don't like the term because it locks me in just another box of society. We eat what's natural. Other than raw vegans (who I have no problem with.. it's the veggie chip munching vegetarians I do), I can't think of more natural diet than paleo and it's obvious, common sense. So why are we concerning that there's something wrong with us? We're not the insane ones, the ones brainwashing our country into sickness are.

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If they are wasting their time worrying about me they are driving their own cortisol levels north. We should be mindful for ourselves before we seek to effect others – The Quilt Apr 30 2011 at 12:56

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Since most people will put anything into their bodies without thought, I can kinda understand why they think Paleo is extreme. But eating natural whole food is just common sense and if people can't understand that then they are deluded, not us.

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No. As they say:

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I'm not offended. I think some of us are. It's the obsessive nitpicking over minute details, such as:

Not eating regular eggs - or egg whites due to avidin. Or avoiding all eggs because of omega-6.

Fretting over the trend of the day: How can I eat more offal, fermented, marrow or gelatin?

Never eating chicken or pork due to n6. Never eating bacon or sausage.

Obsessing over macronutrient ratios/ketosis/blood work/pwo meals/pre workout meals/IF and the length of your telomeres.

I'm probably guilty of a few of these myself. But I think its healthy to acknowledge it and to be aware that we may be overanalyzing things that we do not fully understand.

After all, the important thing for most people is to avoid refined sugar/flour/veg oils and to eat real food as much as possible. The rest is highly individual.

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..or just go look at the front page. Is porn Paleo? Or: "I suffer from food allergies, leaky gut ... a naturopath told me." Etc. There's plenty of insanity. – Xyz Apr 30 2011 at 3:11
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LOL @ length of telomeres! great response tho. – SuZQ Jan 1 2012 at 15:02
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Omg: u described my first 3 months on paleo ! – CaveMan_Mike Jul 1 at 2:46
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If it weren't so damn hard to get food from your local grocer without worrying about getting "glutened" or the unnatural PUFA levels and insane amounts fructose, then i would be offended. People who don't give a passing thought of these things(outside of people who are able to buy organic and locally all the time because of locale) are stricken with something else- potentially harmful ignorance...

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I completely agree- my point was that this has come up recently on paleo hacks and it blows my mind that people would let themselves be labeled with a "disorder", almost as if there's something abnormal about the way that we're eating. No one would bat an eye if I said I was eating a veggie sandwich on whole wheat bread, which is far more "disordered" eating on a health scale than what we eat. – Danielle Apr 29 2011 at 13:15
exactly. i'm looked at like an alien at work because i don't eat during their luncheons and things. they seem to think that i'm depriving myself when in fact, my tummy hurts just looking at the types of food they eat. i wish someone could just put them in my body for a day and see how eating like this makes you feel... – luckybastard Apr 29 2011 at 13:27
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The term "orthorexia" has been around for a few years, the anorexics love to use it as a distraction. people love labels. I'll be offended when commercials for prescription drugs to "cure your orthorexia" begin popping up!

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A small vindictive part of me is very happy when I'm criticized for eating things that will make me live longer. I just smile and say "See you in 10 years...if you're still around."

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Orthorexia is a serious disorder, same as anorexia or bulimia. None of them should be applied lightly or inadequately. Paleo (same as other eating systems) is not "orthorexic" but it's quite possible that some persons might be in the risk of becoming orthorexic. It's not about caring for what you eat, it's when it becomes total obsession interfering with regular functioning and healthy behavior (both physical and mental).

I find the phrase "the new cool eating disorder" dangerous, eating disorders are never "cool", they are potentially serious issues, people die of anorexia or bulimia. I haven't heard of someone dying because of orthorexia, but it doesn't mean that there weren't cases like that. A lot of people who are cutting away foods out of extreme fear and obsession might end up eating not enough for a proper functioning of the body. I think a lot of vegans and people obsessed with minuscule elements are in theoretical danger to push it too far.

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Yess. Thank you. – JeJ Sep 6 at 18:49
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Not offended..a paleo diet is obviously what we are supposed to be eating. We dont have a disorder. Whoever came up with the term orthorexia probably works for General Mills, or Hostess or something. I dont like the term paleo too much tough, especially when explaining to others what I eat and why..it kind of makes it sound like we are trying to act like cavemen, and soudns sort of gimicky. And diet makes it seem like any other diet plan that doesn't work, where there is a start and an end, rather than a lifestyle change. I just stick to real foods, and ask the haters at work eating their "healthy choice" microwave meals, how their maltodextrin is..every day..Just to be a jerk

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One of the crucial criteria to legitimately call a behavior "disordered" is that it interferes with functioning.

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Need I say more, really?

It's obviously ridiculously to apply that label to people who are living healthy and happy lives. It's hard to find the label offensive when it is so obviously applied out of ignorance.

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I'm more referring to people on paleohacks falling for the labeling. – Danielle Apr 29 2011 at 21:57
Oh I see. The phrasing is a little ambiguous. But in that case, I totally agree with you. – losterman Apr 29 2011 at 22:19
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I've always been a picky eater.

I just kept picking different exclusions and combinations until I found one that made me very healthy.

Then I stopped.

Why would we consider this a disease that needs a latinish greekish word???

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The original article about orthorexia is humorous, maybe even tongue in cheek. The problem is the media "health" writers got a hold of it and turned it into a trendy issue.

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I heard that everyone is gluten intolerant to a degree, it's like a spectrum. Being gluten intolerant is not cool.

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Yup, gluten/gliadin and friends are our kryptonite. I can see how a SAD eater would want to seek out a label to apply to those of us who want to eat a cleaner diet, if only to make themselves feel better about their own failings. But there is a deep, rich, history of big-pharma inventing all sorts of idiotic diseases so they can peddle more bullshit drugs with insanely dangerous side effects that are much worse than the perceived disease they attempt to cure. So be wary of newly invented diseases. Sure, some of these things can be disorders, but I suspect most are pure BS. – raydawg Jul 1 at 11:14
Yeah it's like putting rat poison in our food, and most people would still be alive after eating it, but for the ones who are more sensitive, they would be labeled "rat poison intolerant". Rat poison shouldn't be in our food in the first place, nor should gluten. – Paleomofo Jul 1 at 12:43
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I have a history with bulimia. I personally think orthorexia is offensive to people with real eating disorders and have found that being particularly picky about what I eat has relieved me of my symptoms of Bulimia. When I have allowed myself to eat bad foods such as dairy it has brought bulimic symptoms flying back. I also feel that it is another excuse for the pharmaceutical companies to drug people who don't really need it. I also feel that people who are truly orthorexia would either qualify as bulimic or anorexic. bulimics I feel would be especially likely to have this mindframe of if I eat something bad I need to get rid of it.

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Orthorexia can be a sort of off-shoot characterization from bulimia/anorexia- it is unique though, and absolutely not offensive and is a serious eating disorder itself. I didn't understand it entirely until someone in my eating disorder group had it and then it was obvious that she came from and was in a different place than a lot of us bulimics/anorexics. – JeJ Sep 6 at 18:52
Orthorexia isn't just "eating healthy" it's a constant obsession with health, that can manifest in different ways than bulimia or anorexia. You can eat normal amounts with no binging/purging and no caloric restriction and still have completely life-altering obsessions that entail ridiculous restrictions and enormous amounts of anxiety. It's not just "eating paleo" or "eating vegan" or "eating whole foods"- it's all about the attitude. – JeJ Sep 6 at 18:54
Jej I was wondering if the person you knew fasted or anything else to componsate for the "bad" food. I very much know what orthorexia is as I had a therapist suggest that i had/ have that as well as bulimia. For me personally I would still consider it part of bulimia and not a seperate disease in itself. – Veganvspaleo Sep 7 at 12:57
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The only person who could really accuse me of this is my wife... she sees me eat at home where I am fairly strict Paleo. Anyone who sees me eat outside of my home would only know that I'm gluten intolerant and maybe a low carber, but otherwise I probably seem pretty normal.

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Never heard of it until reading this question. No one I know is concerned that I'm orthorexic. They just think I'm wrong for going against what they think constitutes "correct" nutrition guidelines. It is easy to understand how Paleo could be perceived as a fad diet, considering how some people are marketing it, so I'm not going to be offended if anyone applies the "orthorexic" label.

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