Obsession or Dedication?

Reading an interesting article pointed out by Refuse To Regain.
The full article is here:

It talks about the ‘new’ eating disorder called Orthorexia, which is an unhealthy obsession about eating healthy. Yes – I do believe you can take it too far, as these people seem to with only a narrow range of food they eat.
The author poses these 4 questions about whether you are obsessed with food:

1. Are you maintaining a healthy weight?

2. Does food preparation and planning occupy a disproprtionate amount of your time?

3. Do you feel isolated from your friends and family by your dietary requirements?

4. Have friends or loved ones suggested that your interest in healthy eating has become an obsession?

Okay, I don’t really know if this author has lost a significant amount of weight (or even is/has been overweight), but these 4 questions really annoyed me.

1. I am maintaining a healthier weight. Not at goal, but doing well. I don’t see any problem with that.

2. Food preparation and planning does take some time and effort. What entails disproportionate? Some people view my morning planning of my day’s food to be too much time spent. Just because someone else doesn’t want to/have to spend time planning food and menus does not make me obsessed. And really, who else is going to look out for what I am eating?

3. No, don’t feel isolated by my dietary requirements. I do find it hard at times, and sometimes comments are made about what I am eating that make me a bit self-conscious, but again – who else is going to look out for my best interests other than myself? Certainly not the cookie pushers, or the restaurants with their huge portions, or anyone but myself.

4. I have had people tell me I am obsessed with fitness and food at times. Probably they are correct to a degree, but this is a *huge* part of my life now. Of course I am going to talk about it a lot – I am living it!

So, I don’t know. Seems like a small number of people probably truly have Orthorexia. The problem is that anyone who is diligent and dedicated to their diet and health can get lumped into that category as well, because it really is outside the norm. Honestly – fewer people are really dedicated and committed to eating and living healthy than those that aren’t. And I don’t know if it is a sense of jealousy or shame about their own eating habits or what, but there is some need to call someone out for eating right. Like there is a problem with that, or that it really needs attention. Does the fact that I order a salad with dressing on the side, and to have my chicken grilled without the sauce really necessitate a comment being made on it?

5 thoughts on “Obsession or Dedication?

  1. debbyweighsin

    I read the same article last night, Lori. And I agree with you. Good grief, what are we supposed to do. If we’re not diligent about what we eat then we go back to the other label ‘MORBIDLY OBESE.’ Our whole country has been self-indulgent for so long that we have a national problem with obesity, and so now we have to ‘over-correct’ to resolve the problem. So what?

  2. Christie O.

    wow! i so agree with you. (i got a comment just this morning about being borderline obsessed.) but honestly, no one IS going to look out for me except me. And i can tell you that everywhere i go there is someone saying, “oh just eat it! it’s fine!” so if calling me obsessed because i’m trying to eat healthy enough to not counteract all the work i’m doing while exercising is a bad thing, then well, i guess i’m one of those people in that group. i think you are onto something about the need to lump people into a group for eating right. everyone’s gotta be labeled, right?

  3. Fatty McFat-Fat

    Agreed! I think a lot of people make comments, because they don’t understand it. I’m always amazed at how many waitresses question you on why you don’t want the sauce, or why you want to swap out french fries and onion rings for a side salad. I might make some semi-strange requests from eating low-carb out, but it’s a whole lot easier on my brain than getting a big fluffy bun with my burger and french fries. Keep the carbs, and I’ll keep my smaller belt. 🙂

  4. SuperDave

    I’ve never heard of Orthorexia before. I guess that can happen to any of us, but I would rather be Orthorexia than the other..Right?

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