From Clean eating to Orthorexia: The slippery slop of restraint.

You're on Instagram or TikTok, there are countless reels that are promising to make you a healthier, better version of yourself, one meal-prepped salad, green smoothie, or jar of overnight oats at a time. Influencers proudly promote "approved" ingredients, list things they've taken out, and demonstrate "clean eating" practices. "You are what you eat" is one of the most common captions.

On the surface, this appears to be motivating. Who wouldn't want to feel more energised, eat less junk snacks, and consume more vegetables? However, there is something less benign hidden beneath those vibrant smoothie bowls and "gut-friendly" dishes.

The same behaviours that first felt powerful can turn into alienating, anxiety-driven, and even dangerous actions when the pursuit of healthy eating becomes a strict set of rules, when the objective changes from feeling good to eating flawlessly. A preoccupation with consuming "pure" meals can subtly take over a person's life. This is the realm of orthorexia.

What exactly is Orthorexia?

The term orthorexia nervosa was first used in 1997 by the physician Steven Bratman and is derived from the Greek words "orthos" which means correct, and "orexis" i.e. appetite. Orthorexia is more concerned with purity than with one's calories or body weight, in comparison to anorexia or bulimia. Orthorexics frequently obsess over the origin and quality of food, including whether it is organic, how "clean" it is, whether it includes additives, or how much does it comply with their rigid self-imposed guidelines.

It often begins benignly: reducing processed food intake, paying more attention to labels, and making an effort to eat more "natural." However, fear gradually replaces flexibility, and food is categorised into strict good vs bad categories. Dining with friends seems dangerous, eating out becomes unpleasant, and the range of "acceptable" items continues narrowing.

According to a 2023 analysis that was published in the Journal of Global Health, nearly 1 in 4 adults in 18 nations reported having symptoms of orthorexia. Although that figure does not represent a medical diagnosis, it does demonstrate how pervasive these trends have become in contemporary wellness culture.

When worries become excessive

The emergence of orthorexia is closely related to the way "wellness" is portrayed online. Instagram and TikTok have emerged as the new nutrition classrooms, but the instructors are frequently influencers rather than actual dieticians or nutritionists.

Only a small percentage of well-known online nutrition blogs were in line with evidence-based nutritional recommendations, according to a 2025 Guardian study. Rather, fear-based misinformation that vilified elements like seed oils, dairy, gluten, or any other product that isn't "natural" saturated the feeds. These posts frequently make sweeping generalisations such as "gluten is toxic," "processed foods are poison," or "vegetable oils cause inflammation."

Such claims are eye-catching, but they oversimplify difficult scientific concepts. Extremes are rewarded by the algorithm, but food is never truly good or horrible. Additionally, the more consumers engage with wellness content, the more restrictive and fear-based advice they’re shown.

When the desire to eat correctly becomes linked to worry and self-worth, orthorexia tends to manifest. The anxiety and guilt that arise when one invariably falls short of one's own self-imposed standards of purity are the issue, not the initial intention to eat better.

Some common indicators that one's healthy habits may be overstepping their boundaries include: 

• Spending hours reading labels or researching ingredients

• Experiencing anxiety when eating "unsafe" foods

• Avoiding family meals, restaurants, or travel due to food rules

• Constantly associating food choices with one's self-worth ("I'm good if I eat clean, bad if I don't")

• Eliminating entire food groups without a medical necessity.

A culture that rewards restraint

Orthorexia is considerably more difficult to identify when societal acceptance is involved. People who practise self-control and eat "clean" are often praised by society, even when doing so is detrimental to them.

Because it "looks like self-discipline," orthorexia frequently goes unnoticed, as noted in a 2009 Guardian piece. People who discreetly battle with ongoing guilt or worry around eating are praised for their self-control.

Dietary habits around the world exacerbate this. According to a review, those who live in cultures that moralise health and associate "good" food with moral character are more likely to exhibit orthorexic inclinations. This eventually strengthens self-blame and perfectionism.

The price of the perfectionism

At first, orthorexia may seem like a control mechanism, a means of handling stress, the body, or health. Ironically, though, it has the opposite effect.

Physically, avoiding too many foods might result in exhaustion, intestinal problems, and nutritional deficits. The body could be deficient in vital minerals, vitamins, or good fats.

Psychologically, orthorexia can be quite distressing. Orthorexia was associated with greater levels of obsessive-compulsive characteristics, anxiety, and depression, according to a 2021 meta-analysis. Controlling one's diet transforms into a coping mechanism to deal with stress or uncertainty. This control is shaky, though. A single "unhealthy" meal can set off severe feelings of shame, remorse, or self-criticism.

Socially, eating becomes alienating. You may start to decline dinner invitations out of nervousness, or your friends may stop inviting you. The diet that was meant to improve your mood eventually makes you feel more worried and alone.

Why and how does diet misinformation spread?

The rise of online dietary misinformation and the growth in orthorexia are inextricably linked. Misinformation about health spreads more quickly than evidence in the digital age. While social media thrives on simplicity, which frequently leads to misinterpretation, nutrition research is always evolving.

According to a 2024 Guardian research, most social media health posts that go popular make inaccurate or misleading dietary claims. The most popular myths? claims that "natural" always translates to "healthy," that "processed" implies harmful, and that some foods can "detox" the body, all of which lack scientific backing. When you include a few before-and-after photos, it appears to be the real deal.

This is a misinterpretation of food science, according to nutritionists. "Processing" simply refers to any modification of food for safety, flavour, or shelf life, including baking bread or freezing vegetables. Demonstrating such things can cause worry and needless constraints.

Misinformation like this spreads quickly. A 2025 study found that people are more likely to share emotionally charged health content. After watching one video about a restrictive diet, users are more likely to see others, which feeds the cycle of control and anxiety.

Confirmation bias, which occurs when people follow information that supports their opinions, reinforces this false information. Online communities eventually turn into echo chambers that normalise severe restrictions.

In the meanwhile, there are substantial financial incentives. The "wellness" sector is worth billions of dollars. Influencers use fear-based engagement to obtain sponsorships, ad income, or reputation; the more frightening the message, the more quickly it spreads.

Overcoming Your Fear of Food

Redefining healthy eating is the first step in recovering from orthorexia. Health is about diversity, flexibility, and having faith in your body, not about eliminating everything that is "imperfect." It is advisable to:

• Examining extreme claims: Anything that sounds absolute, like "never eat this," is probably false.

• Unfollowing accounts that trigger: Science communicators, qualified dieticians, mental health advocates, and balanced voices should take the place of content that is restricting.

• Reintroducing the love of food: Try different foods, eat with others, and rediscover food as a source of culture and enjoyment rather than merely control.

• Seeking expert assistance: Nutrition counselling and cognitive-behavioral therapy can assist in re-establishing a positive relationship with food.

Recovering and regaining the balance

Orthorexia reveals the darker side of a culture fixated with optimisation and the notion that health must be achieved via perfection, it shows how easily good intentions can turn toxic in a world full of misleading information. However, genuine wellbeing is about balance rather than purity.

Healthy eating should prolong your life, not shorten it. Joy, spontaneity, and the occasional guilt-free treat should all be allowed. Because balance, connection, and self-compassion are the sources of true sustenance rather than restriction.

Eating well should make your life fuller, not smaller.

Sources

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Brytek-Matera, A., Pardini, S., Szubert, J., & Novara, C. (2022). Orthorexia Nervosa and Disordered Eating Attitudes, Self-Esteem and Physical Activity among Young Adults. Nutrients, 14(6), 1289. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14061289

Hill, A. (2009, December 2). Healthy food obsession sparks rise in new eating disorder. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2009/aug/16/orthorexia-mental-health-eating-disorder

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Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board