Eating healthy is a habit naturally associated with good health. However, excess can quickly turn into eating disorder.
Orthorexia is characterized by an obsession for the quality of food. “It is the intense desire that each bite you put in its mouth is perfect,” explains the nutrition Doctor Isabelle Huot at the microphone of Isabelle Perron in Qub Radio and Télé, broadcast at 99.5 FM in Montreal.
Each meal becomes a source of concern: are the products organic, free from GMOs, cooked with the right oil? This rigidity leads to a considerable mental charge for people with orthorexia, who feel guilt, shame or anxiety when they “deviate” from their food plan.
These people even modify their lifestyle, by refusing to go to the restaurant, or bring their own meal for fear of losing control over their diet.
Another trap related to the health quest is overconsumption of food supplements. More and more people turn to vitamins, protein or capsules offered on social networks. “We turn to supplements much more than food. And that can be problematic, ”says Isabelle Huot.
Some nutrients, beneficial in moderate quantity, become harmful when consumed in excess.
For example, excessive protein consumption increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. A surplus of vitamin A can increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers, while excess vitamin E could be associated with a higher risk of prostate cancer.
See the complete interview in the QUB extract above.
