Orthorexia is on the rise.
When Healthy Eating Becomes Harmful: Understanding Orthorexia At Mountain Valley Counseling, we often see clients who come to us not because they want to give up their healthy habits—but because those habits have started to take control of their lives. One lesser-known but increasingly common issue is Orthorexia Nervosa, an unhealthy obsession with eating only foods that are perceived as healthy, pure, or clean. What Is Orthorexia? Orthorexia is not officially recognized as a distinct eating disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), but many clinicians acknowledge its serious impact. The term was coined in 1997 by Dr. Steven Bratman to describe an extreme fixation on healthy eating. Unlike other eating disorders that focus on quantity (like anorexia or binge eating), orthorexia focuses on quality. It’s not just about avoiding sugar or processed foods—it’s about a rigid mindset that labels entire food groups as “bad,” leads…
Sexualization of girls contributes to eating disorders
Sexualization of girls can lead to lots of problems including eating disorders, mood disorders and low self-esteem.