Is Opting Out of Processed Food the New Eating Disorder?
by Daisy Luther
It’s time for an intervention. We need to talk.
Are you concerned about the stuff they call “food” at the grocery store? Do you opt for whole foods most of the time, and feel unwell if you eat so-called “junk food”? Are your views about food causing you to make changes in your day-to-day life? Do you believe there is a connection between the food you eat and your physical and mental well-being??
Widget not in any sidebars
Then, it’s time to face reality. If you choose to eat food without chemicals on a regular basis, you, my friend, are mentally ill.
It’s called Orthorexia Nervosa.
A study found on PubMed explains. (Wow, it’s like they know me.)
Orthorexia is an obsessive-compulsive process characterized by extreme care for and selection of what is considered to be pure ‘healthy’ food. This ritual leads to a very restrictive diet and social isolation as a compensation. Orthorexics obsessively avoid foods which may contain artificial colours, flavours, preservant agents, pesticide residues or genetically modified ingredients, unhealthy fats, foods containing too much salt or too much sugar and other components. The way of preparation, kitchenware and other tools used are also part of the obsessive ritual.
Treatment of orthorexia require a multidisciplinary team involving physicians, psychoterapists and dietitians. In some cases, antiserotoninergic drugs may be required as part of the treatment.
Wow, I’ll bet that raising as much of my own food as possible really means I’m in need of intervention.
Corporations are losing money when you make healthy choices.
Gosh, do you think this could have anything to do with plummeting sales for processed food companies? There are a lot of corporations with skin in the game. An article on Natural Society by Christina Sarich noted that sales are down for the following food manufacturers (Wait – is my orthorexia nervosa showing when I say that the word “food” should never be followed by the word “manufacturer”?)
- ConAgra (Hunts, Swiss Miss, Chef Boy Ardee)
- Kraft (Oscar Mayer, Jell-O, Maxwell House, Velveeta)
- Kellogg
- Campbell’s Soup
- Coca-Cola
For example, our good friends at CNN (who, incidentally had an ad in the sidebar for a Big Pharma medication on this article) explain:
There’s now a name for people dangerously addicted to all things healthy — a sufferer of orthorexia nervosa. Characterized by disordered eating fueled by a desire for “clean” or “healthy” foods, those diagnosed with the condition are overly pre-occupied with the nutritional makeup of what they eat. They rigidly avoid any food they deem to be “unhealthy,” or spend excessive amounts of time and money in search of the “most pure” foods…The condition is under-studied, and no one knows how widespread it is.
Meet the “Experts” Who Think Healthy Eating is a Sign of Mental Illness
What’s more, the people who should be able to help identify eating disorders are being professionally indoctrinated. Last year, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics received a “fact” *cough* sheet outlining the alleged benefits of processed foods from the International Food Information Council. It’s important to note that the IFIC receives funding from Cargill, Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Yum! Brands (the parent company of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC, and WingStreet), General Mills, Mars, McDonald’s, Monsanto, PepsiCo, and Red Bull. You know, all of the companies that produce the recommended processed foods that will benefit your diet. Here’s a look at that handout, if you’re interested.
If you wonder why many people are so confused about what constitutes good nutrition you need look no further than the propaganda being spouted by these so-called “experts”. There is a real problem when the people sponsoring the nutrition lessons are the very purveyors of GMO crops, potato chips, soda pop, and fast food.
Many people are out there trying valiantly to make the best possible choices for their families on limited budgets, but they must combat the constant disinformation and, now, scrutiny with regard to their mental health. These folks are being deliberately deceived by food manufacturers, but even worse, by professional societies like the American Medical Association, the American Heart Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Maybe if there wasn’t so much toxic garbage out there being offered as “food”, people wouldn’t have to be so diligent about what they consume. Maybe the people with the real mental disorders are the ones pushing the chemical laden, non-food crap in a bright, cheerful box, a box that contains things which are known to cause cancer, reproductive difficulties, hormone disruption, gut disorders, and inflammation.
Maybe they should come up with a name to identify those who display enduring antisocial behavior, diminished empathy and remorse, and uninhibited or bold behavior.
Oh yeah. Wait. They did that already. There is a diagnosis for those people.
They’re called psychopaths.
And they’re the ones calling healthy eaters crazy.
Let me enable you with these resources:
- What to Eat When You’re Broke
- The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia: A Comprehensive Resource for Healthy Eating
- Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats
- Nutrition 101: How Processed Foods Make Us Fat, Malnourished, and Sick
Daisy Luther lives in a small village in the Pacific Northwestern area of the United States. She is the author of The Organic Canner, The Pantry Primer: How to Build a One Year Food Supply in Three Months, and the soon-to-be-released The Prepper’s Water Survival Guide: Harvest, Treat, and Store Your Most Vital Resource. On her website, The Organic Prepper, where this article first appeared, Daisy uses her background in alternative journalism to provide a unique perspective on health and preparedness, and offers a path of rational anarchy against a system that will leave us broke, unhealthy, and enslaved if we comply. Daisy’s articles are widely republished throughout alternative media. You can follow her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.