A new type of disordered eating

Persistent fixation on healthy nutrition and avoidance of food considered unhealthy in fear of developing an illness is known as “orthorexic eating behavior” and is being recently discussed as a new type of disordered eating. Further characteristics include the presence of overvalued ideas concerning effectiveness and supposed health-promoting effects of foods as well as obsessive and ritualized ways of preparing and consuming foods. The estimated prevalence of orthorexic eating behavior within the German general population amounts to 1–3 %, with predominantly young females affected. New studies indicate that symptoms of orthorexic and anorexic eating behavior tend to overlap, which brings up the question of possibly classifying orthorexia as a subtype of anorexia. Finally, this paper proposes a therapeutic approach combining interventions and methods from classic eating disorder therapy and nutritional counseling as a mean of treating possible consequences of mental or social distress caused by orthorexia.