It is not a diagnosis and I have had my fun with the word, even made it my religion on facebook. I thought we could take a serious look at it though.
Being active in sports and an amateur fighter, I have to watch my diet. I make sure I eat my protein, stay away from refined carbs in all forms, and have definitely passed up a meal at a fast food place, even when hungry until I could find a better choice.
When does making sure the fuel you put into your body become orthorexia? Ask boxers for the last 100 years if they enjoyed their diets the the months leading up to a fight. They will most likely say no. does that mean they are afflicted? I would say not.
But what about the skinny girl eating 300 calorie meals that have all the fat, carbs, and flavor removed and does step aerobics constantly. The guy to drinks raw eggs smoothies spiked with spinach and works out at least twice a day? Have you ever met an average sized child who follows the "zone" because his parents have decided that the diet makes sense?
I actually know these people. You can meet the same type of people on almost any diet message board. They are easy to spot, because if you say you ate anything "off-Plan" they accuse you of not being a real believer like it is a religion. They are the "paleo" people who call you names because you like dairy. Or the clean eating ladies that suggest you fix a cooler in the morning with all the food you are allowed to eat for the day. Then you have the people who eat at only certain times of the day and you will hear their phone go off notifying them it is time to eat one of the six to eight meals a day. I have even been on a weight lifting board where they tell you to set your alarm clock so you can wake up at 2 or 3 in the morning so you don't miss out on the well timed meal.
I and most other eat healthy to have a better quality of life. So because of that I follow the 80/20 principal. I eat very well 80 percent of the time. But if I am doing something special, like being invited to a friends for the Bruins Playoffs, I bring my own snacks, but I am having a beer. I may not do that for regular season. I try to not let it make me crazy.
I hope you can find your balance so your quality of life improves because of the choices you make.
