Orthorexia
Orthorexia, or
orthorexia nervosa in full, is closely related to the disorder
anorexia nervosa. With
anorexia, the sufferer has an unhealthy obsession to
lose weight while with
orthorexia, the subject has an unhealthy obsession with "healthy eating". The subject may avoid certain types of
food, such as those containing
fats, preservatives or animal products. As a result, the sufferer may become as hazardously thin as those suffering from
anorexia.
The condition was identified by Dr. Steven Bratman, a Colorado specialist. Bratman coined the term for the condition in 1997 from the Greek orthos, "correct or right", and orexis for "appetite".
Though the word is entering the English lexicon, it is not yet a recognized medical condition.