Let's just coin our own word for them!

[Stina]

You know the term orthorexia? I don't buy it. I think it's just anorexia dressed up in a different package. Regardless, it certainly doesn't apply to the great majority of people practicing eating raw and now it's a term getting thrown around flippantly thanks to coverage from the likes of 20/20.

Now what is a real sickness is the utter apathy in regard to dietary health approaching mental illness-like abandon that afflicts the majority of Americans.

So, let's toss around the linguistics ball and clarify what the real disease is!

How about apathexia? No, not quite right. Any suggestions?

[TaupeRawMan]

Hi Stina -

personally, I think that some of the raw food leaders (not Alissa) encourage orthorexia with messages about not eating fruit, not eating fat, not eating before 12p or after 3p, etc. There are lots of rule-based messages that can really give an impression of a right-or-wrong approach to diet. Add to that the often-emphasis of weight loss and I am not surprised that there are a lot of anorexics and orthorexics involved in the raw food lifestyle.

[Aleesha Sattva]

well ya, obviously... after all this IS the healthiest way to eat! anything can be taken to an unhealthy level... anything.

i wish the best for those who suffer from this dis-ease... (((hugs)))

[iamacranberry]

Hi Stina -

personally, I think that some of the raw food leaders (not Alissa) encourage orthorexia with messages about not eating fruit, not eating fat, not eating before 12p or after 3p, etc. There are lots of rule-based messages that can really give an impression of a right-or-wrong approach to diet. Add to that the often-emphasis of weight loss and I am not surprised that there are a lot of anorexics and orthorexics involved in the raw food lifestyle.


I think orthorexia is more of an attitude than an objectified eating plan. Those who genuinely fear all unhealthy foods and think they're going to die if they eat them to the point that they stress themselves out are orthorexic. A more healthy attitude toward diet failure is to take each setback as a minor detour to success.

[klomasius]

Against the popular grain of the raw food movement, I DO believe orthorexia is a valid eating disorder.

Now before everyone gets down my throat about it (I remember some very heated conversations a couple of years back), this is NO WAY means that I think that eating raw food is in itself orthorexic, I just wouldn't be here in this forum, enjoying and eating raw food if I thought this!

Orthorexia doesn't mean the eating of raw food, it means the unhealthy obsession with eating a certain way (be that vegetarian, macrobitic, atkins etc) to the point that it's pathological and harms a person's mental and/or physical health.

It seems from anecdotal and some preliminary studies that people with EDs do tend to become veggie, vegan, raw fooders etc. But more than reflect on the food lifetyles themselves, this reflects on the need fulfilled for these people by the 'restrictive' nature of such lifestyles (restrictive being the term used for any food choice structure that isn't SAD).

I do think that there is a difference between ortho and ana, simply because the motivators are very different ('health' instead of 'being thin').

Either way, I'd love to see more study into this as it will mean more assistance and understanding for those that suffer these disorders. I read of so many cases of people with ortho (still not a registered disorder) telling health professionals 'but I don't CARE how much I weigh! I'm not anorexic!' and not being able to be treated appropriately because of this.

On the other hand, I'd dearly love to see more understanding from the health professionals that these lifestyles are not inherently bad, and that a person can be COMPLETELY healthy mentally and physically on a raw food diet for example, and that the majority of raw foodists are balanced, happy and healthy people.

Think about it, veganism was the 'bad kid on the block' several years ago with health professionals, it seems raw is now getting it's day in the infamy limelight. It will pass.

But in the meantime, we need to be aware that there are some people who do have unhealthy obsessions with raw that stem not from raw itself but from their own personal demons, whatever they may be.

Dismissing the existence of this (whatever it is called, orthorexia or not), may mean that some people do not get the help and understanding the desperately need.

End rant, begin objections. :D

[Inca_faerie]

Against the popular grain of the raw food movement, I DO believe orthorexia is a valid eating disorder.

Now before everyone gets down my throat about it (I remember some very heated conversations a couple of years back), this is NO WAY means that I think that eating raw food is in itself orthorexic, I just wouldn't be here in this forum, enjoying and eating raw food if I thought this!

Orthorexia doesn't mean the eating of raw food, it means the unhealthy obsession with eating a certain way (be that vegetarian, macrobitic, atkins etc) to the point that it's pathological and harms a person's mental and/or physical health.

It seems from anecdotal and some preliminary studies that people with EDs do tend to become veggie, vegan, raw fooders etc. But more than reflect on the food lifetyles themselves, this reflects on the need fulfilled for these people by the 'restrictive' nature of such lifestyles (restrictive being the term used for any food choice structure that isn't SAD).

I do think that there is a difference between ortho and ana, simply because the motivators are very different ('health' instead of 'being thin').

Either way, I'd love to see more study into this as it will mean more assistance and understanding for those that suffer these disorders. I read of so many cases of people with ortho (still not a registered disorder) telling health professionals 'but I don't CARE how much I weigh! I'm not anorexic!' and not being able to be treated appropriately because of this.

On the other hand, I'd dearly love to see more understanding from the health professionals that these lifestyles are not inherently bad, and that a person can be COMPLETELY healthy mentally and physically on a raw food diet for example, and that the majority of raw foodists are balanced, happy and healthy people.

Think about it, veganism was the 'bad kid on the block' several years ago with health professionals, it seems raw is now getting it's day in the infamy limelight. It will pass.

But in the meantime, we need to be aware that there are some people who do have unhealthy obsessions with raw that stem not from raw itself but from their own personal demons, whatever they may be.

Dismissing the existence of this (whatever it is called, orthorexia or not), may mean that some people do not get the help and understanding the desperately need.

End rant, begin objections. :D

Awesome post, you nailed it!:)

[potteryroe]

Awesome post, you nailed it!:)
Here! Here! :)

[klomasius]

aw shucks, thanks guys. :p

I'd just like to promote a little uderstanding on both sides. I'm glad we can talk openly and calmly about this.

[Raspberry4]

Quote - It seems from anecdotal and some preliminary studies that people with EDs do tend to become veggie, vegan, raw fooders etc. But more than reflect on the food lifetyles themselves, this reflects on the need fulfilled for these people by the 'restrictive' nature of such lifestyles (restrictive being the term used for any food choice structure that isn't SAD).


Good point. Maybe this is a way to self heal.


Quote - On the other hand, I'd dearly love to see more understanding from the health professionals that these lifestyles are not inherently bad, and that a person can be COMPLETELY healthy mentally and physically on a raw food diet for example, and that the majority of raw foodists are balanced, happy and healthy people.

Another good point...I can agree through experience that I am healthy mentally and physically ONLY on a raw food diet. Good food in = good things happening to our minds/bodies.

Great post.

[curlygirl82]

Well said, everybody, well said.
I've never witnessed orthorexia, but I definitely buy that it exists and is a legit ED. And, as others have pointed out, I can see how going raw would be one way of indulging this, though the two are in no ways synonymous.

I think that most people, when they hear about the raw food diet, just expect that it's orthorexia (whether or not they've heard of it). For example, today I was at the big family holiday gathering, and something innocuous was said about coffee, no big deal, and my brother VIOLENTLY flew off the handle saying "I'm so sick and tired of all this 'I can't have that,' 'that's bad for you,' 'I don't eat that anymore' BS! You're on the 'I don't eat anything diet'!"
It wasn't even me that was talking about the coffee, I was referencing my grandmother not drinking it anymore. Anyway...
He just assumes that I'm "on a diet," and that it's a diet of exclusion, not abundance. And I'll grant you - when people first hear about all the things we "don't" eat (which they hear as "can't -- so wrong it drives me nuts), they think we're starving ourselves. But we're not.
However - when I was vegan before, years and years ago, it definitely was more about control issues than health - it was the least healthy time of my life! So I can see how, when somebody hears "raw vegan," they could think this would be an extreme version of that. I guess it's all about intention - are you eating a certain way to feel fantastic and healthy? Or to indulge your control issues/body issues?
Or, are you eating a SAD diet, to numb yourself? I swear, I just look at my family now - most of society, too, really - like aliens, and they look at me the same way. It's about as far removed from the "body is a temple" mentality - it's more, "body is an amusement park," as somebody said. Yeah - an amusement park that kills you a little more on each ride, making your even more unhappy. What's UP with that? They're drugging themselves, it's so obvious to me now.

Yes, so, I agree - let's come up with a name for that. Apathexia sounds just about right to me. Doesn't come trippingly off the tongue, but it sure does get the point across.

[Stina]

Uh...I didn't mean to debate the merits of orthorexia. I personally think it's a form of anorexia but whatever. And I personally don't think it necessaily applies to anyone who simply eats raw vegan. My actual point is that in comparison the average American diet constitutes a mental illness to be willing to eat such sludge. I was half-jokingly saying that there should be a term to describe that.

[Stina]

Against the popular grain of the raw food movement, I DO believe orthorexia is a valid eating disorder.

Now before everyone gets down my throat about it (I remember some very heated conversations a couple of years back), this is NO WAY means that I think that eating raw food is in itself orthorexic, I just wouldn't be here in this forum, enjoying and eating raw food if I thought this!

Orthorexia doesn't mean the eating of raw food, it means the unhealthy obsession with eating a certain way (be that vegetarian, macrobitic, atkins etc) to the point that it's pathological and harms a person's mental and/or physical health.

It seems from anecdotal and some preliminary studies that people with EDs do tend to become veggie, vegan, raw fooders etc. But more than reflect on the food lifetyles themselves, this reflects on the need fulfilled for these people by the 'restrictive' nature of such lifestyles (restrictive being the term used for any food choice structure that isn't SAD).

I do think that there is a difference between ortho and ana, simply because the motivators are very different ('health' instead of 'being thin').

Either way, I'd love to see more study into this as it will mean more assistance and understanding for those that suffer these disorders. I read of so many cases of people with ortho (still not a registered disorder) telling health professionals 'but I don't CARE how much I weigh! I'm not anorexic!' and not being able to be treated appropriately because of this.

On the other hand, I'd dearly love to see more understanding from the health professionals that these lifestyles are not inherently bad, and that a person can be COMPLETELY healthy mentally and physically on a raw food diet for example, and that the majority of raw foodists are balanced, happy and healthy people.

Think about it, veganism was the 'bad kid on the block' several years ago with health professionals, it seems raw is now getting it's day in the infamy limelight. It will pass.

But in the meantime, we need to be aware that there are some people who do have unhealthy obsessions with raw that stem not from raw itself but from their own personal demons, whatever they may be.

Dismissing the existence of this (whatever it is called, orthorexia or not), may mean that some people do not get the help and understanding the desperately need.

End rant, begin objections. :D

Oh, dear, now you're saying that people won't get medical help and treatment for their eating disorder thanks to my post. Please just reread the beginning thread. That wasn't my point. What's the point on getting hung up on linguistics. Of course, people with any type of eating disorder should get help. You didn't even address the intention of the original posting.

[Bananna]

well anorexia is a bit different, it's a restraint from All foods, healthy or not....but they are both similar in that they are dysfunctional mindsets involving food restrictions.

...but I agree, there should be a term to describe SAD-eater mentality...because it is dysfunctional I agree...

ostrich-head in sand, foresight-lacking, non-investigators of truth, child-like immediate gratification seeking addicts who love to think they need what they only want, short-life spanned fools.

either that or: sheep.

lol....and for the record I am not referring to people who are Trying to change or in some sort of transition...um, cuz that would be me, lol.

[Bananna]

http://www.wordinfo.info/words/index/info/view_unit/1503/1/?spage=5&letter=O

...it would pretty much be dysorexia...although the problem is that this is socially perposterous.

[Bananna]

It seems to me that a Lot of people follow blindly in virtually all areas of their life, because that is how it always was done. Just So left-brained about everything, never think outside the box, set their values young and refuse to consider changing them at all costs.

...It never ceases to amaze me. Ever. Nor does it ever cease to irk me.

Would they be sheeporexics? ...an overall insatiable desire to be sheep.

[iamacranberry]

It seems to me that a Lot of people follow blindly in virtually all areas of their life, because that is how it always was done. Just So left-brained about everything, never think outside the box, set their values young and refuse to consider changing them at all costs.

...It never ceases to amaze me. Ever. Nor does it ever cease to irk me.

Would they be sheeporexics? ...an overall insatiable desire to be sheep.

That just might be the word :p

[Eva]

ostrich-head in sand, foresight-lacking, non-investigators of truth, child-like immediate gratification seeking addicts who love to think they need what they only want, short-life spanned fools.

either that or: sheep.


Thanks for the laugh, Bananna! :)

[rawstrength]

could be - parorexia, a perversion of appetite with a desire for abnormal "foods"

Nothing about cooked food is healthy or normal.

[Bananna]

I agree, lol....maybe sadorexias.