When it comes to our diets, is there such a thing as being ‘too healthy’? Can you be too healthy? Or even Waytoohealthy? (see what we did there)
Being too strict or overly occupied with what we are eating is becoming a real danger to not only our physical health but our mental health and our social lives too. It’s clear that what we eat has a direct effect on us as a whole.
However, in our quest for getting fit, weight loss or just general health, we have to be mindful that pushing too far – so often to a point of being obsessive about everything we put into our mouths – can have a consequential negative impact on our overall health.
We’ve all heard of Anorexia but did you know that there was a condition called Orthorexia? I hadn’t come across this term until very recently – it’s an eating disorder that is described as “an obsessive and pathological fixation with eating only healthy foods”. Who knew.
A study found that there are direct correlations between those with a history of negative body image, other eating disorders, an obsessive desire for thinness and obsessive-compulsive behaviours and suffering from Orthorexia. No surprises there.
Lump in perfectionists, those who suffer from anxiety and those that already follow extreme diets and you’ve identified the subjects likely to suffer or be at more risk from Orthorexia. (And possibly exercising too much).
What’s the difference between Orthorexia and Anorexia?
Those who suffer from Anorexia are fixated by the number of calories that they are consuming, whereas those suffering from Orthorexia fixate more on the quality of the food that they are eating.
Surprisingly, this can also lead to malnourishment if certain food groups are excluded from the diet.
I know people in the gym who only eat rice, chicken, brown pasta and eggs. They assume that adding something green like peas, for instance, gives them their balance and quota of ‘vegetables’.
Yes, they have low body fat. But really? Is that a healthy diet? (and this isn’t dieting before a show). I don’t think so. It’s ‘clean eating’ taken to the extreme.
These people don’t like going to family functions or meals out as they are worried that they won’t be able to eat anything off the menu. Often, it will stop them going out normally altogether, causing feelings of isolation and putting strains on personal relationships.
But why do some people follow such strict regimes? Is it that they’ve surrendered to the constant barrage of “you must be this or that or look like this or that” that the media push at us all the time? Being fit and (waytoo)healthy is a choice that we can all make – we don’t need to be forced into it by media pressure, whether from tv ads and programmes, magazines or social media.
Can you be too healthy?
None of us are perfect. None of us will be. And we certainly won’t attain the perfect body by forcing an unrealistic diet on ourselves. Great health comes from great lifestyle habits. We should never think “diet”. What we eat is just a part of a balanced lifestyle.
So long as you have this balance, you can enjoy the nice things too. Why lead a life of deprivation…then die? Will guilt about that cake or biscuit be your very final thought? I don’t think so.
We all need to accept ourselves for who we are and not place unrealistic goals in our way – because we’re sure to trip over them as we pursue the ultimate goal – which should be balance in everything we do.
So, can you be too healthy? Maybe it is possible to be Waytoohealthy after all? Let’s all be mindful of that.
If you can identify with any of the items in this article or feel that you might have an obsession with clean eating, please talk to someone that you trust – a good friend, relative or a medical professional. Don’t let your health suffer through lack of action.
