What Is Orthorexia? Understanding the Obsession with Healthy Eating
July 7, 2025 | By Emily Jeffers
What is Orthorexia Nervosa?
Despite not appearing as an official diagnosis in the DSM-5-TR, Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) is considered by many professionals to be an eating disorder characterized by an obsession with “healthy” eating. With the term Orthorexia only being coined as recently as 1997, it is still a relatively new disorder, and additional research is needed to learn more about the best diagnostic and treatment strategies.
It’s possible that ON’s lack of inclusion in the DSM-5-TR may be due to clinical speculation about whether ON is related to or a symptom of Anorexia Nervosa (AN) or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). While there is definitely symptom overlap between ON, AN, and OCD, and despite the well-established relationship between OCD and eating disorders, ON presents with its own distinct presentation and symptoms that do not fully align with either of those diagnoses.
Symptoms of Orthorexia Nervosa
As mentioned above, ON is an eating disorder recognizable by obsessive and compulsive behaviors centered on eating healthy, or sometimes “correct,” foods. People with ON often experience these same patterns when avoiding foods they consider unhealthy. While there is nothing inherently wrong with striving that are nutritious and good for the mind and the body, individuals with ON become so focused on the idea of healthy eating that it causes a significant negative impact on their overall health and quality of life- physical, emotional, and social well-being.
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Common Symptoms May Include:
Obsessively reading nutrition labels and ingredients before making food choices
Avoiding foods based on how they are grown or sourced
Spending immense amounts of time researching grocery stores and food brands
Obsessively researching health benefits or risks of certain foods or ingredients
Spending copious amounts of time and energy preparing food in specific ways
Spending significant money and time preparing for food consumption
Beginning to or increasing elimination of entire ingredients, foods, or food groups despite no medical recommendation or need for dietary changes
Viewing food only as a source of health, not as something to enjoy
Eating foods they dislike, simply because they align with their health rules, even if they feel unwell mentally or physically afterward
Believing that certain foods or ingredients can cure or prevent illness, despite lack of medical evidence
Experiencing intense fear, shame, discomfort, or anxiety when eating outside of their guidelines
Heightened distress around “unhealthy” foods
Judging others for not following the same food rules
Perfectionism related to food choices
Preoccupation with food at upcoming events
Obsessively following social media content focused on health
What Are the Effects of Orthorexia Nervosa?
As with all other eating disorders, ON can become so impairing that it results in any number of complications or concerns. Potential outcomes may include:
Weight loss
Malnutrition
Various medical complications
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Beyond physical symptoms, ON can also deeply affect one’s social life and relationships. The amount of time, money, and energy spent on food-related behaviors may lead to social withdrawal, strained relationships, and disruptions in daily functioning. Individuals may even find themselves relying completely on their ON as a source for their self-esteem and self-perception, especially as their obsession develops and impacts their interactions with others.
It is important to note that regardless of what is listed in the DSM-5-TR as official diagnostic criteria, clinicians are trained to treat variations of all of the diagnostic criteria in the manual. Other Specified and Unspecified diagnoses are included in the DSM-5-TR to allow for a diagnosis when we are still figuring out a problem, learning about a possible new diagnosis, or in the process of researching a set of symptoms.
You Deserve Support
Orthorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder, just like any other; it simply doesn’t yet have the same amount of research to provide a clear picture of how it would fit into the DSM-5-TR. If you’re reading this and recognize yourself or a loved one in these symptoms or experiences, it’s worth reaching out for support and treatment. You deserve care, no matter the label.
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