Don't know if this belongs here, or in another forum, but I'll post here...

Well, people, apparently there is ANOTHER eating disorder to worry about out there and it is something that all dieters need to worry about, according to the article. I've put it here because the warning signs that the author lists are often those habits which we encourage in each other and which most of us do every day and ask advice about here on 3FC (save for a couple, I can relate to most of them...)

-Claiming you have a lot of food allergies
-Spending more than three hours a day thinking about food
-Planning tomorrow's food today
-Caring more about the virtue of what you eat than the pleasure of eating
-Continually getting stricter with your diet
-Feeling guilty or self-loathing when you stray from your diet
-Feeling a sense of superiority or self-righteousness


http://www.homemakers.com/homemakers...s=1081575&pg=2

OR do you think this is another way for a diet author to sell a book?


What do you guys think?

Kira

I think there's some validity to the disorder, as I've known and heard of folks who carried "healthy eating" to bizarre extremes (that often weren't nearly as healthy as the person thought).

I saw an extreme example not too long ago on a television court show, of a young married couple (raw foodist vegans) whose baby died because instead of formula or mother's milk (because milk was evil and unhealthy) they were feeding the infant a vegan substitute, and the baby in essence starved to death, and/or died of a severe nutritional deficiency.

I think it just shows that anything can be twisted or taken to an unhealthy extreme. I think the defining factor whether a behavior or set of behaviors is adaptive or maladaptive, is fairly simple - is it making life better or worse - is functioning becoming easier or more difficult?

I think the author is over-reacting.
Whereas I certainly agree that being overly preoccupied with food can reach unhealthy levels of the obsessive-compulsive kind. I don't think that by merely planning what we are going to eat and making the best choices possible we have a disease.
We all know what happens when we don't plan our meals and have the right ingredients at hand: We make unhealthy food choices. In many of us those choices might even trigger binges, so our best strategy is to be prepared.
I guess there might be a really small number of people who actually develop what this author describes to the extent of being a disorder. In my personal case though, I would not even worry about it.

[/I] think there's some validity to the disorder, as I've known and heard of folks who carried "healthy eating" to bizarre extremes (that often weren't nearly as healthy as the person thought). Quote..
I agree that there is some vadility although I dont agree that this is an all "bad" disorder to have.
I plan tomorrows food today becase I know that I need structure and a plan to carry out healthy eating.
I love food so ya I probably think about it for about 3 hours a day.
I do feel guilty when I stray from my diet unless it is a planned treat becuase I know I could have done better and I strive to follow my plans and complete my goals.
and Finally I wouldnt call it superiority but I do feel better and in power when I do eat healthy so ya I dont really think its an issue.

I think most anything can become disordered. Sometimes it's more about the why's than the what's.

It's not an official medical/psychiatric diagnosis, but that doesn't mean it's totally invalid, or won't be someday.

Like with lots of disorders, any given symptom may be a totally normal behavior for many people. It's the context, degree, consequences and so on that make it unhealthy. So I don't necessarily think it's a problem that some of what the article lists overlaps with what we do.

Honestly, I almost laughed at this article a bit and I have to agree that this may just be one of the flimsiest excuses for a book I've seen yet. The one that got me was saying there was something wrong with you if you planned what you were gonna have for dinner the next day. I have always done that whether on a diet or not! I plan ahead via my grocery list so I have the right foods in the house for each week; and I don't think that's obsessing.

I know in some European countries some people will walk to the store to pick up what they need for the day, but in our country that is not practical for everyone, but I do know a few people who do that. Some people are so busy that they don't think about what to have until just after work; and there are a few days here and there that I may have to change my plans becuz something unexpected comes up.

On the other hand, I don't think there is anything wrong with suggesting we take things lighter and not obsess too much about ANYTHING. I suppose anything can be taken too far; and that is something that I am conscious of. If I think that I am thinking about this too much, I back off a bit for awhile. Some people will feel that they need to plan and journal meticulously in order to succeed; and I say -- do whatever works best for you.

I don't think we need any more labels than we already have now. Her conclusions are nothing that you and I couldn't have come up with ourselves, and probably already have.

I have not read the whole book and I won't be becuz I have resolved not to spend one more $ on these 'diet' books that just make someone else rich and me X amount of $ poorer.

So ya, I think it's really more diet industry hype, but they will make money off the book becuz some people are forever searching for answers.

i have been here at 3fc for four weeks now and i have spent a lot of time reading and thinking about the way this place works.

i think it is a wonderful support mechanism, but i have also seen some things that worry or disturb me, especially in relation to food control/limitation and self loathing and self acceptance.

i believe for myself that this journey is part of a greater lifestyle alteration. i need to be more active, and needed to become far more consciousof my eating habits. four weeks in, i am craving exercise (making plans to make sure i get it in) and have learned a lot about the kinds of foods that have caused my excess weight. (i am starting to see how weight watchers teaches me the cost of some of my favorite foods). planning prevents me from unthinkingly eating. it doesn't mean i hate myself for eating a cookie or swapping in a meal. it also means i have far greater control over my food budget, an important factor in my student lifestyle at term end.

it seems that self-acceptance here is a little less valuable than a continual process of "working on yourself." i think that's part of the nature of the site, and of the society we live in. for me, "being on a diet" isn't an option. learning how to live in fluid movement and how to eat within reason is balanced by gaining the self-confidence i have lost and retaining my unmitigated pleasure in the sensual world of food growing, making and eating.

even the rich things, expensive as they are.

so, like all things, take what you need and leave the rest.

as for orthorexia or whatever, i totally ditto julie. it's all on a spectrum.

isolde

sounds like a ploy to sell books; people not on diets think about food alot too. My mother would think about what we might want for dinner the day ahead, to plan.

-Feeling a sense of superiority or self-righteousness

If judging other people's grocery carts is wrong - I don't wanna be right! Mostly kidding, heh.

OMG!!!! Thank you for posting this---a great laugh yes....but NOW..well, now I know I am not alone!

And in Europe that is rarely the case anymore either. I have neither the time nor the desire to go shopping on a daily basis. I do one large shop per week and may need to top up some fresh stuff halfway through the week.
So yes, planning my food for the week is important to me.
If I don't plan, I will just plain forget stuff and am at greater risk for buying junk that is not healthy for my body or my pocketbook.
Planning does not necessarily mean obsessing!

I've been there, definitely.

Yes, you can plan, you can care about nutrition, fibre, fats, carbohydrates, whether your food is vegan or natural, etc., but there is a line between caring and obsessing. An obsession is something that negatively affects your life and relationships and ability to interact with people on a "normal" basis. It's like how Dungeons and Dragons got a bad rap back in the 80's (or was it 90's?) when some kids who played it became utterly obsessive with it and never left their, uh, "Dungeons" to interact with society.

And I would say that self-loathing and guilt feelings stemming from a "failure" to adhere to a specific, narrow guideline for yourself is definitely negative.

Ironically, it is "all or nothing" feelings that can make people overeat and become obese.

Hm. I think I suffer from UNorthorexia!

-Claiming you have a lot of food allergiesNope.
-Spending more than three hours a day thinking about food Nope.
-Planning tomorrow's food todayI plan a healthy shop, once or twice a week, and I cook up some healthy meals for the freezer once or twice a week but I don't spend hours planning.
-Caring more about the virtue of what you eat than the pleasure of eating I enjoy every mouthful.
-Continually getting stricter with your diet Nope. I keep maintaining my efforts but I don't make them harder
-Feeling guilty or self-loathing when you stray from your dietDon't know, it hasn't happened yet lol! Does that count?
-Feeling a sense of superiority or self-righteousness Oh dear, yes. I feel smug in supermarkets when I see the crp in other people's baskets!

I feel JEALOUSY!

I think the key words in the description are "constant" and "obsessive."

There is a difference between being aware and being obsessed.

That said, yeah, I've often wondered about a progression I've seen a lot on weight loss sites. First it's watching calories, then it's certain foods that must be avoided, then the next thing is veganism.

(But lots of people are vegetarian and vegan without having weight problems or food issues, I hasten to add.)

It might be an interesting book to read. Maybe at the library...

Jay